🐬 raindrops’ study log & 日本語日蚘🐬

I’m sorry you had a very bad mental health day causing you to lose your streak. But you know what? It’s just a number! Nothing more! You still did some studying and you updated your log! I’m really glad to know that you’re not taking it too hard and that you could immediately shift your mindset. I feel the positivity in your little notes! :laughing: Also very sweet of your friend to make you a playlist to drown out the noise in your head! You’ve got great friends! I also love to listen to music to console me and lift my spirits. Sometimes I’ll listen to sad songs to just wallow in sadness for a bit and when I’ve had enough of self pitying, I’ll change the playlist to a happy one.

Never heard of 75 hard before
 I would like to try this for my physical health actually, but it sounds insane
 If you do end up doing it for Japanese, I will definitely be following your progress!

The interview went well I think? :grimacing: I was recovering from being sick and it was scheduled at 11pm because my interviewers were in Asia, but I think I did pretty well considering
 I probably could have organized my thoughts better but I think i did the best I could. I’m not sure if I’ll get it though
 Or even accept it if I get it. My preference is remote work, but they apparently want someone in person. I mentioned to them I would only be available in person in 3 months time but could start working remotely asap. Hope your job hunt is going well!

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You’re totally right about streaks being just numbers and in fact, I feel like it was a blessing in disguise because it gave me the opportunity to jumpstart this new Japanese challenge (which -so far on day 4!!- is going well!) and close the chapter on the >wanikani + Japanese diary< steak.

I do feel soooooo appreciative of my friends :sob: and luckily my mental health feels a ton better today than it did a few days ago

Yeah the fact its 2 x 45 minute workouts a day and reading 10 pages of a book a day (audiobooks -my preferred method- not included) suggests such a time commitment that I can’t imagine incorporating realistically into my schedule rn. That saaaaid,

some personal deets hehe

I’ve been in a long-distance dealio with someone for nearly the whole time I’ve lived in Japan and one way of making the intervals between visits to seem them go by quicker was to do physical challenges (e.g. in 2022 it was my half marathon and last year it was the full marathon!) We’re finally in our last stint apart and it’d be cool to do one final fitness challenge to make the time go by faster. Doing a 75 day thing before my flight from Japan might be a possibility and would involve starting around mid-May which is actually pretty soon hahaha) I know for a fact the 75 hard isn’t for me buuut maybe I could make my own modified easier version. It would probably be something like:

  • some physical activity every day
  • no cheat meals or alcohol (except on special occasions e.g. goodbye parties etc.)
  • no caffeinated coffee
  • drink enough water (I don’t need the gallon 75 hard recommends since I drink so little nowadays; any amount would be an improvement haha)
  • progress pics every day
  • I don’t think I need the reading one since that’s encompassed in my Japanese goals too

So we’ll see how I feel next month and if I feel like doing it :smiley: let me know if you try it or some variation ! Rooting for you !

Congrats on the interview going well enough despite the time zones and having been sick! Really impressive - I bet I’d be loopy sleepy brain haha ! Every interview under your belt is more experience/practice so it’s a success in and of itself <3 Hope you hear back from them so the decision (whatever you decide) is in your court!

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Glad you’re feeling a lot better!

an exchange of personal deets

Oh hey! This is such a good idea! I wish I had known about this before my partner and I concluded our 4-year long distance relationship just this month and moved in together. But in any case, this has motivated me to create joint goals on physical fitness. Likely won’t be able to convince him to do 75 hard with me though! I also looked up the full rules and I am already feeling discomfort just reading them. Not really sure that kind of intensity and strictness is my cup of tea. :sweat_smile: Your modified version seems much more lenient and inviting! Oooof! I’m sure there will be a lot of exceptions with the goodbye parties and such. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Congratulations on doing a full marathon! I know a few friends who’ve done it and I know how much of a mental challenge it is
 Sheer will and determination! That’s something I have never ever thought of doing. I never really enjoyed running except when trail running with other people. If I had to do some cardio alone, I much prefer long distance biking.

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24 sekki banner

虹始芋
Rainbows begin to appear!

My first week of my “Japanese 75 hard” is (nearly) complete and I’m enjoying it so far! It’s been ‘nice’ (aka needed) becoming more aware of just how little time I dedicated to, quite frankly, most of the major skills (listening, speaking, and reading). I have a good feeling that (if I keep this up over 2024) I’m going to progress more this year than I have in the last year. And ultimately that’s all I want.

I missed the deadline to sign up for the summer JLPT kinda accidentally on purpose (financial reasons). So maybe I’ll shoot for the December test when I’m living in the states.

Another update from the last week was something that came from reading the wonderful @hotdogsuplex’s study blog: taking a test to learn my learning style and being quite surprised by the results! I took 2 and here they are:

I was surprised by how high Auditory/Aural learning was :o But after discovering it, I thought back on the times I’d have to remember a long string of numbers for example and I do always say it aloud to myself. I think because listening is my weakest skill in Japanese, I assumed that reflected my learning style buuuuuuut maybe the fact I never do listening practice in Japanese is hindering me in ways I couldn’t imagine looool. All this to say, I am more motivated than ever before albeit there’s still room for more motivation lol to prioritize daily listening practice and do more reading aloud. I think my 75 hard will be good for that.

Okie y’all ! Posting this on a Sunday because this upcoming week I start teaching again so no more wanikani-foruming at work anymore booooo haha I’ll post my diaries for this week starting tomorrow :two_hearts:

reply to @alygator

@alygator omgggggggg 4 years apart!!! That is so admirable and impressive - As a LDR-sufferer haha, I’m so happy for you that you could finally move in together after so long!! I wish u both all the best !

Keep me in the loop if you try out any kind of physical challenge I’d love to hear about it! I can definitely recommend signing up to something for motivation. There’s nothing like having a looming date to press you into action! That’s the benefit of running bc there are always so many races going on, but maybe you could find some sort of event that better suits the sports/activities you enjoy!

15/04/24 (Day 7/75 - one week!)

  • reading - 8 pages of Hidari Sketch
  • speaking - reading aloud manga and diary
  • listening - Teppei and Noriko (3 eps)
  • writing :arrow_down:

今日は授業を教え始める前に最埌の日だから、本圓に忙しかった。最近時間はすごく早く動いおいるけど、この孊期は初めたら、もうもっず早くなる。たくさんやる事だから、8月に匕っ越するこずを信じられない。

16/04/24 (Day 8/75)

  • reading - Hidamari Sketch (6 pages)
  • speaking - some Japanese during my classes
  • listening - Teppei and Noriko (2 eps) and Slow Japanese (1 ep)
  • writing :arrow_down:

今日は最初授業があっお、生埒は本圓に元気だっお良かったたた、䞀緒に教えるのが奜き先生ず今日教えたから、楜しかった明日は遠足で、楜しみ授業以倖やったこずは、仕事に私を代える人のために䟿利な文曞を䜜った。仕事埌で、走った方がいいけど、したくない。

17/04/24 (Day 9/75)

  • reading - a couple pages of 倩囜倧魔境
  • speaking - chatting to my students (very basic!)
  • listening - student chats + Teppei podcast
  • writing - :arrow_down:

今日は遠足だった。ミニ運動䌚のみたいに生埒はたくさんチヌムゲヌムをしお、楜しかった昌䌑みの間に、私ず生埒はカッチボヌルしお、私は初めおにVolleyballしおみた私は本圓に䞋手だったハハ

18/04/24 (Day 10/75 double digits hell ye!)

  • reading - NHK news
  • speaking - language practice tonight
  • listening - language practice tonight
  • writing - :arrow_down:

今孊期、生埒は英語を話すのがだんだん心配しなくなるように、2幎生の英語授業は䌚話クラスです。分間生埒は英語だけ話しおみる。私はネむテむブでも、私でも授業の埌で疲れたから、英語を習っおいる生埒こそは疲れたきっず長い間話すのが疲れおなりやすいだよね。特に母蚀以倖蚀語を話す時。

19/04/24 (Day 11/75)

  • reading - Hidamari sketch
  • speaking - reading diary
  • listening - Teppei and Noriko pod
  • writing - :arrow_down:

今日仕事の埌で喫茶店で旧同僚ず出かけた来週圌はオストラリアに匕っ越すから、今日は最埌のハングアりトだった。

20/04/24 (Day 12/75)

  • reading - Hidamari Sketch
  • speaking - reading diary and manga aloud
  • listening - anime
  • writing :arrow_down:

スヌパヌぞ行くために、今日䞀回以倖もしか家出なかった。今倏に匕っ越すようにアパヌトの䞭で党郚を出さなきゃから、今日色々なものを捚おた。私の前にアパヌトに䜏んだ人が匕っ越した時、たくさんものを䜙したから、今党郚を出すのが莫倧なタスク

21/04/24 (Day 13/75)

  • listening - subtitleless anime
  • speaking - reading diary aloud
  • reading - Akira and Quartet
  • writing - :arrow_down:

仕事探す応募の曞くために喫茶店に行ったけど、キヌボヌドを忘れちゃったアむパッドでキヌボヌドはなしくお曞きにくいず思う。それで応募しなくお、教科曞勉匷グルヌプのタスクをずうずう始める。

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Which level are you planning to take?

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I’ll be over here cheering you on! Ù©(^ᗜ^ )و ÂŽ-

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I was going to do N3 this summer but I guess we’ll see how far I progress up to and after when I move - maybe I’ll go wild and try the N2 in December (very unlikely but you never know! It’ll depend what my priorities are for doing the test e.g. gaining confidence in my ability -N3- or pushing myself to the limits -N2-)

<3 <3 <3 <3

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Peonies bloom, 牡䞹華

Feeling quite apathetic recently, suddenly and unexpectedly ? I think it’s probably a combination of life things that swirl around and cause a general anxious discontent ? I feel so mentally and literally busy with the moving countries / emptying my apartment situation that sometimes I don’t have the energy for studying Japanese or running. And when I don’t do those things, I get quite self critical / disappointed in life + myself, it’s dramatic but true. So it’s a bit of a crummy cycle. I’m doing the bare minimum in my ‘Japanese 75 hard’ experiment (2 weeks done now!) so at least I haven’t missed a day, buuut I haven’t done wanikani in a while (800+ reviews waiting for me lol; so I’ve whacked on vacation mode for now). I guess all I can do is keep showing up each day and doing what I can and hopefully wait for this brain funk to dissipate. My brother is visiting me in Japan this week and we’ll go traveling together during Golden Week so I’m sure that will help my mood - I just have to be diligent to keep up my daily tasks while he’s here.

  • For listening, I’ve really been enjoying Grimm Variations on Netflix. I watch the episode in Japanese without subtitles and then again with English subtitles.
  • For reading, I’ve been reading vol.9 of Hidamari Sketch (a manga I started reading in English when I was a kid) - the positive side of moving and having to donate all your books is the motivation to actually read the books that have sat untouched on a bookshelf for months finally haha!
  • For speaking, lately it’s just been reading things aloud buuuut I’m excited to travel because I’m sure I’ll have more opportunities for fuller conversations then!

I’ve made this week’s banner log 2 weeks not 1 so it’s one less thing I have to think about so I’ll post my diary entries for the next 2 weeks here :arrow_down:

22/04/24 (Day 14/75 no way 2 weeks!)

  • reading - Hidamari sketch
  • speaking - reading diary / manga aloud
  • listening - subtitleless anime
  • writing - :arrow_down:

なぜ事を知っおないけど、今日垰た時突然に機嫌がちょっず悲しくなちゃった。運動ずか勉匷ずか、倧抵嬉しくなるこずさえずか、やりたい気がなかった。今、できるこずだけする。

23/04/24 (Day 15/75)

  • reading - subtitles
  • speaking - some comments in class
  • listening - 字幕なしアニメ
  • writing - :arrow_down:

今日は奜きな同僚ず二぀授業を教えお、生埒は元気だっお良かった。生埒は自己玹介のために英語を緎習したから、簡単な英語を䜿った。でも、孊期の開始に簡単なトピックを緎習するず、自信を持っお孊期を続けられるず思う。だから、簡単でも倧切な授業だった。

24/04/24 (Day 16/75)

  • reading - forms at the second hand shop
  • speaking - at the second hand shop
  • listening - at the second hand shop
  • writing - :arrow_down:

今朝仕事で授業四぀続々教えお、今すごく疲れた。たた、仕事の埌で、たくさんいらないものをあげるように䞭叀ショップに行かなきゃ。それで、日本語緎習のために今倜友達に䌚う぀もりだったけど、今忙しすぎる感じおから、この予定を取り消した。

SO many look ups today; my word recall is abysmal haha (successively, 続々, second hand store, 䞭叀, to cancel, 取り消す)

25/04/24 (Day 17/75)

  • reading - subtitles in anime
  • listening - Teppei & Noriko pod (1 ep)
  • speaking - recalling my day to myself
  • writing - :arrow_down:

今日は旅の前に最埌仕事日だった。明日は䌑むから、普通明日に教える授業を今日むしろ教えた。だから、今日は忙しかった。今掗濯しお、埌で垰っお旅のためにパックしなきゃ。

26/04/24 (Day 18/75)

  • reading - nhk article
  • listening and speaking - chatting to hotel staff
  • writing - :arrow_down:

今日兄貎が日本に到着する今週末に東京に泊たる。この旅は兄貎が初めおに日本に蚪れるから、楜しいきっず!

27/04/24 (Day 19/75)

  • speaking and listening - talking to staff
  • reading - reading menus (DOES THIS COUNT)
  • writing :arrow_down:

今日぀矎術通に行っお、可愛い喫茶店に行った。牛乳で人気なキャラクタヌみたいなコヌヒヌを䜜った。

28/04/24 (day 20/75!!)

  • reading - nhk news article
  • speaking and listening - speaking to locals
  • writing - :arrow_down:

今日カマクラで倧仏を芋に行く。昚日酒を飲んでから今日少し二日酔い :dizzy_face: !

29/04/24 (Day 21/75)

  • reading - hidamari sketch
  • speaking/listening - buying tickets
  • writing - :arrow_down:

今朝東京駅の䞭で奜きなラヌメン店でノィヌガンのラヌメンを食べた今京郜に行っお、お兄さんは初めおに新幹線で乗っおいる!

30/04/24 (Day 22/75)

  • reading nhk easy news
  • speaking/listening locals
  • writing :arrow_down:

今日は枅氎寺に行った. ゎヌルデンりィヌクだから普通ず比べおたくさん芳光客がいるかもしれないだず思ったけど、びっくりで実は人がたくさんじゃなかった

01/05/24 (Day 23/75)

  • reading NHK news
  • speaking/listening talking to staff
  • writing :arrow_down:

今日沖瞄県に行く! 日本に䜏んでいる間に初めおに囜内な飛行機で旅行する

02/05/24 (day 24/75)

  • reading NHK news
  • speaking/listening talking to staff
  • writing :arrow_down:

沖瞄にすごく雚倩で、残念だね今日森の䞭でアドノァンチャパヌクに行く

03/5/24 (day 25/75)

  • reading nhk easy article
  • speaking/listening restaurant ordering
  • writing :arrow_down:

今日船レヌスず孊生のスモり倧䌚を芋お楜しかった! @hotdogsuplex not too hot; around 23-28 degrees each day! Yesterday was super rainy but today was suuuuuunny ! My brother did get a bit sunburnt tho hahah the main thing he noticed was how humid it was !

04/05/24 (bust!)

  • reading NO READING ! streak broke !
  • listening/speaking locals
  • writing :arrow_down:

今日はお兄さんず東京の䞭で歩いお楜しかった。矎術通に行っおいろいろなものを芋お面癜かった。東京に䜏んでいる友達ず晩埡飯を食べた

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You’re in Okinawa!? How hot is it there?

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:leaves: A Super Long Update Post! :leaves:

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I’ve taken about a week off of pretty much all Japanese study. Of course I still use Japanese here and there in my daily life living in Japan with coworkers or at the shops, but in terms of active studying, nothing! I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing; this is probably the longest break I’ve taken in years aha. But I do feel the urge to push myself to get back into doing at least something daily or else the act of [not studying] will become its own solidified habit. The “good” part about having studied multiple languages at high school only to have forgotten ALL that I learned is that I did learn an important lesson:

It doesn’t matter how long you have studied a language, if you stop using it, you will forget it.

obviously I’m sure this doesn’t apply to everyone but it sure as heck applies to me! And I’m aware that if you’ve studied something for a long time it might be easier to get back into than the first time around however, I still think the general message stands.

So, I would hate for Japanese to become yet another language I spent years on only to eventually remember nothing of it. So far in my language learning journey, Japanese has felt distinct given it’s my first self-taught and self-motivated language which I studied outside of school. So I’m hoping to keep it that way, and not let it join the other languages in my 蚀語墓堎 lol.

Lots of my fav study logs on here posted a 2023 review a while back and I never did, so in a similar vein I think it’d be good to reflect on the study phases I’ve gone through the last year to think about what worked well and what didn’t.

- - - my study routines over the last year - - -

  • :books: reading phase

This time last year (May ‘23), I joined my first book club 小さな森の狌ちゃん and started reading 倩囜倧魔境. I also binged Cure Dolly grammar videos. And I was intermittently writing my Japanese diary (which I began in February). Around this time I was also using Anki and wanikani. In June, I was mostly using Bunpro, but didn’t study much. Then through July-Aug, I started reading Akira in Japanese. These were intensive reading sessions where I looked up every word I didn’t know and physically rewrote every line of text in a notebook. I really enjoyed my Akira set-up!

  • :pencil2: writing phase

Then in September, I began the Quartet 1 study group, (watched Tokini Andy’s supplementary grammar videos), and was doing the monthly writing tasks. This is also when I wrote my first comic in Japanese and I would go on to make 4 comics. I continued reading and writing out Akira. In November, I started reading V for Vendetta in Japanese, but that didn’t go very far.

  • :speech_balloon: heavy output phase

After taking a break during my travels in December, I came back to Japan in January ‘24 and really committed to my Japanese diary. I pretty much did it every day for a loooooong time. I also did daily wanikani pretty consistently for a while. The biggest change tho was taking up weekly Japanese conversation practice with my friend. This was probably the most active speaking practice I had ever done while studying Japanese. So with daily writing output and weekly speaking output, it felt good. Then, I stopped doing wanikani and began that 75 hard challenge (trying to practice reading-writing-speaking-listening every day), but that only lasted around 25 days.


- - - the situation now - - -

And now here we are. I have wanikani in vacation mode with around 750 reviews waiting for me and I’ve been on this level for 91 days. I don’t necessarily feel inclined to return to wanikani reviews as of yet. My work life is a lot busier than it used to be so I don’t have down time during work which is mainly when I used to do reviews so it’s a bit harder. But I probably should return to it because I’ve noticed myself mixing up kanji and forgetting readings. I think I’ll do that in a week or two once I feel settled back into a daily routine.

When I travelled last week, although technically I was meeting my 75 hard goals and doing all 4 skills daily, I was only doing the bare minimum. Truthfully, I felt like a cop out.

Having reflected on the last year, I think the phases I most felt like I was actively engaged in my Japanese study were 1) when I was intensively reading Akira (July-Oct ‘23) and 2) when I was writing my Japanese diary daily, doing wanikani, and meeting my friend weekly to practice speaking (Jan-March ‘24). Given the increased workload at work, I need to build a study routine which is sustainable to achieve in non-working hours.

Reading through my study log, I also found a gem of a comment from @Pitapi who (after I posted sometime last year about feeling disconnected to Japanese study) said:

All of these suggestions are so so good, but the last one is especially cool. Namely, it’s important to ask yourself:

what made you love learning Japanese? And why did you want to learn Japanese in the first place?

And ultimately for me, it was always because I wanted to be able to read Japanese manga after having written on it during my thesis. I think in the past and now, I have felt disheartened about my poor skills in speaking and listening. Also, since I’m leaving Japan really soon in a few months, there’s this anxiety that “now is the best opportunity to practice speaking/listening with native speakers so don’t miss this moment!!”. So I push myself to do things like the 75 hard challenge where I have to practice those skills. And while they are really important, frankly I didn’t learn Japanese so I could speak it. And maybe returning to intensive reading as a focus, returning to something that was at the heart of my original motivation for learning the language, will help reignite my passion for it.

I think it’s crucial while I’m about to enter this new phase of living OUTSIDE of Japan that my motivation for learning Japanese is at an all time high, in order to sustain my studies during the transition. Not to mention, this autumn, I’m also probably going to start learning Russian (again hehe) due to moving in with my Russian partner. So, in anticipation of taking on another target language, it’s imperative that I feel secure with my study habits in Japanese so it doesn’t fall to the wayside.


- - - going forward! - - -

ずにかく、that was a very long post but it felt necessary to air out my thoughts after a week away and after about a month of feeling like a cop out aha. In conclusion, going forward, I think I’m going to:

  • return to posting a daily diary entry in Japanese here on my study log
  • take up weekly conversation practice with my friend again
  • and start intensively reading and writing out Akira again

I loved being part of the Quartet 1 study group, but I’m sad to say I don’t think I could honestly/realistically say I could commit 100% to the Quartet 2 study group right now. So I’m thinking I’ll just follow along with the new grammar points each month, watch the Tokini Andy videos since I find him a great tutor, and cheer other people on from the backseat because I am so proud of all the members who are keeping at it and I want to see how they do :heart:

These are the main focuses! I’m actually at work today (on a Saturday) but I have no classes to teach so I have free time (hence this mega post haha). So I think I’m going to spend today doing bunpro reviews to get back into the swing of things just because it will give me exposure to lots of example sentences. I have 147 reviews so let’s see how I get on! Thanks to anyone who read all of this: I really truly appreciate this online community so much and I don’t think I would have continued Japanese for as long as I have without it :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

And with that, here is Saturday 05/11’s diary. I’ll post the diaries like this today and tomorrow and then next week I’ll begin (another lol) new formatting system for the blog I think <3 :
今日は土曜日だけど仕事しなければいけなかった。教えなきゃ授業がなくお、オンラむン勉匷ブログのために曞くような暇な時間があっおよかった。動物の森の音楜を聞きながら、ポストを曞いた。このゲヌムをやったこずがないけど、キャラクタヌずか音楜が奜き。そしお、今日は良い日こずになった。

Saturday 05/12
今日は友達2人ずハむキングした。山は倧きかったから、今私の䜓はちょっず痛くお、疲れた! でもこういう痛さは良い感じねこれが私は頑匵ったこずを芋せおいるから!

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I honestly forgot about that comment I made! I’m glad that it was helpful and thanks for quoting me, I think I also needed to read these words. Right now I’m experiencing something similar.
I’ve been having so much work (it’s Saturday and I’m working :skull: ) that all my energy is completely drained by the end of the day. I still manage to do bare minimum, and try to look for the things I love about Japanese to get me to willingly come back and don’t feel like it’s a task that is draining my willpower. But it’s okay, I don’t want to stress about it, I still love the language and I continue my studies even if life ebbs and flows.

I think when we take on tasks that are going to be with us for the long term, it’s a good idea to be gentle with ourselves and choose carefully when to push for more and when to lower the burden.

I will cheer for you @raindrops さん, we’ve got this!

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:leaves: week 05/13/24 - 05/19/24 :leaves:

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First new week since my week off studying and that 莫倧な reflection post! Let’s goooo !

Trying out new easier formatting similar to what I used to do. I was hoping to make/draw something cute for the blog today but now it’s evening and the day is up oops! I have a feeling I’ll switch it again very soon but let’s see (similarly since I’m moving to the US soon, I’m teaching (cough cough forcing) myself to type the date as month-day-year instead of the British day-month-year because I still think it looks gross haha we’ll see if I can get used to it!)

Not sure how many people actually read my diary entries, but feel free to chime in if you do and if you think the new formatting is ugly/harder to read! I want it to be accessible :dove: alright y’all - have a good week!

日 日蚘 調べた蚀葉か文法 アキラ 䌚話
13 先週の土曜日に仕事したから、今日は代䌑で、レラクス以倖ほずんど䜕もしなかった郵䟿局で家族ぞ葉曞を送っお、コンビニでコヌヒヌを買っお、午埌に䞍安病気に぀いお教育的なナヌチュヌブ動画を芋た。 - - -
14 今日は授業二぀しかないから、けっこうしやすい日ず思う。教えない間に、私は再䞉さいさんにポストマロヌンの新しい曲を聎き楜しむ圌の初めおカントリヌ曲が奜き皆も聞いた 再䞉に (again and again) - -
15 今日続々授業䞉぀があった。埌で昌䌑の間に、英怜を生埒が準備感じさせるために、生埒ず䌚っお英語で話し緎習した。仕事埌で、日本語䌚話のために友達ず晩ごはんを食べながら、出かけろうず思う。 - - :white_check_mark:
16 日本語をあたり勉匷しない䜕週かの埌で、今週はBunproサむトを䜿い戻る。毎日文法埩習をしお、間違ったら正解な答えを曞いおいる。そしお、ワニカニ埩習もしおる。今週が始たる時、714぀ワニカニ埩習があったけど、倧倉でも毎日だんだん枛させる。地獄からものみたいな埩習量っお、䞋にスクリンショットを芋える。 䜕か several / some - -
17 今日は普通より忙しいだった。たくさん授業を教えなければいけなかったし、䌚議があったし、今晩も飲み䌚がある。だがそれは楜しいから、かたわない - - :white_check_mark:
18 今午前3時半だ飲みすぎたけど日蚘を曞かなければいけない! 今倜楜しかった - :white_check_mark: -
19 今日は少し二日酔いがあっお、倧倉なこずしないようにする。アニメを芋るずか、スナックを食べるにする。もっずお疲れさせる䜕かをしたくない。お茶が欲しいけど、今牛乳が持っおないから、倚分コンビニに買いに行く。二日酔い日の間に散歩がいい考え。 - - -

screenshot mentioned in 05/16 diary entry:

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I meant to reply to this post ages ago when I read it but I forgot! I think I replied in my mind haha

I saw V for Vendetta in the library recently and thought of you haha, I couldn’t remember if you had posted any updates on reading it lately. Maybe you can go back to it and Akira when your life chills out a bit after moving!

Yayyy!!! You guys were LDR, right? congrats on moving in! I really like to see people learning another language for a partner since I’m planning on doing the same. Will you update us on your Russian learning here? :grinning:

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reply to soggy:
Thanks! Ye, by the time I move in August it’ll have been over 2 years of long distance so I am suuuuuuuper excited! I’ll for sure post Russian updates with these posts once I get into it (probably in the same way @alygator posts about Spanish!). Also, Japanese V4V is one of the books coming with me in the move so I’ll defo go back to it one day ! Speaking of which tho,

I did my first Akira reading session since deciding to return to it!

I don’t think “session #21” is accurate because I jumped about 40 pages since session #20 but that was the last time I posted about it/did intensive reading with writing it all out and translating every sentence so we’ll just continue from that number!


Really enjoyable :revolving_hearts: Every time I come back to it I’m reminded what a great story it is :>

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I had been meaning to respond to a number of your posts the last two weeks, but I just couldn’t find the time to until now!

You’re not alone. I also had these bouts of apathy, not feeling like doing anything at all, when moving to different countries. I think it was a sort of defense mechanism to not feel overwhelmed by it all? Sometimes it was easy to get out of, other times it wasn’t. I do hope you’re feeling better now after your travels with your brother and some reflection on your studies. Thanks for sharing @Pitapi’s advice for burnout! Also quite useful for me at this moment!

25 days is still something! At least you tried it and now know that it doesn’t work for you. I’m always going back and forth with new study habits and habit tracking methods as well! I really like your latest reflections on what worked for you last year. Those notes of Akira are gold! :star_struck:

I like the new structure! Definitely more accessible than before. Thanks for thinking about your followers :yum: Will definitely be watching out for your Russian learning journey too!

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Thank you for your empathy @alygator :revolving_hearts: thankfully I do feel out of that rut since stepping back and doing that Japanese-study reflection. It’s nice how gaining more structure in one area of your life (e.g. by getting back into a study routine with Japanese) can help when you’re unable to have control/certainty with another area (like moving countries!)

I definitely feel positive about my new (or I guess old) setup, returning to what worked well for me after that mini experiment. Thanks for the encouragement :hatching_chick: !

This week is midterms at my work so hopefully I should have more free time to study. I’m still doing Bunpro reviews nearly every day, and last week I was able to get my wanikani reviews down from 714 to 463 which is pretty good going! I’ll continue to whittle down the review pile and maaaybe next week I could start doing lessons* again.

* tho honestly, regarding kanji, I think I am more tempted to review burned items than to learn more. I feel more of an urge to strengthen my foundation of beginner to intermediate kanji than to continue learning obscure infrequently used kanji. “Luckily” wanikani doesn’t teach by frequency order so there are still lots of important kanji to be learned in the upcoming lessons e.g. 泊たる is in level 42 lol. In any case, for now I have time for neither new lessons nor burn reviews so I’ll just stick to hoping active reading practice is enough to review burned kanji.

resolved confusion over a sentence in Akira last week

In unrelated news, I was mildly confused about the following dialogue I saw last week (not to such a degree I couldn’t understand what was being said, more just to get the full nuance and make a solid translation).

I translated this as “what
 that’s enough money to destroy the world 100 times over”. I couldn’t find what ぀り meant so I asked a coworker today and she explained it to me such that I could then find:

So it’s more like “even if you destroyed the world 100 times, you’d still have money left over”. I knew intuitively my first translation was lacking because of the しおも so it’s satisfying to have learnt the new phrase! I :clap: love :clap: reading :clap:

I like my new table set up so I’ll use that again this week! Have a good week everyone :dolphin:

日 日蚘 調べた蚀葉か文法 アキラ 䌚話
20 毎日通り、昌ごはんを食べた埌でも、もうお腹が空いた感じしおる。ちょっずダむ゚ットしたいけど、思春期から食べ物ずかボデむむメヌゞに私の関係は悪い。それで、私のメンタルヘルスにずっおダむ゚ットはちょっず危険になれる。これは重いトピックだから、明日の日蚘のためにたたこれに぀いお曞くかしら。 思春期, ししゅんき, adolescence - -
21 今日はワニカニ埩習が無しになるたで挢字を埩習したかったけど、退屈すぎた400぀が230぀ぐらい枛させた。それで、今、挢字っお頭が䌑めるようにアキラを読もうず思う。埌で、倚分挢字埩習し戻る。昚日の日蚘曞いた通りダむ゚ットを始めるのが考えおいおから、今日からカロリ数アプリを䜿った。でも今倜友達のレストランに行くにする。それで、始めたばかりでも、カロリは数えにくくなるかな。 数える, to count (I remembered the noun but not the verb!) :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark:
22 今日はずうずうワニカニ埩習の莫倧な量を枈んでしたった0になっお良かったでも、初玚のレベルに挢字の量は少なくない。だから、埩習の量も近日䞭倧きくなる。 for the last sentence, I looked for many words for “increase” before settling on ‘get big’ lol - -
23 今日出匵があった。私ず同じ就職を働いおいっおよく芋ない人らず今日出かけお嬉しくなられた。及び、今幎の倏に日本から出るに぀いおたくさん䟿利な情報を承った。 出匵、しゅっちょう, business trip - -
24 先頃ダむ゚ットを始めるかもに぀いお日蚘で曞いた。昚日から、思春期から初めおに、毎日朝ご飯を食べおみろうにする。若かった時から、朝ごはんを食べない。でも、最近むンストグラムで、日䞭ビンゞむヌチングしないようにたくさん健康むンフル゚ンサヌが朝ごはんは倧切ず蚀った。それで、効果的かどうかの芋ようこれたで、食べ楜しんでいるけど、普通より早く起きるのが嫌ね。 I already forgot 思春期 again oops // 効果的 effective // これたで until now - -
25 アナず雪の女王の曲のみたいに次の文を歌うの装おう 氞遠に初めおに。。。予定無しで1人で楜しめる週末日があるこういう日の間に、私がコヌヒヌを飲み楜しながら日本語を勉匷しに喫茶店に行く。甚事があれば、これもする。䟋えば、数ヶ月にお姉さんの誕生日のためにプレれントを探さなきゃから、今日する。 I originally wrote タスク which is totally fine but I was curious so searched and found 甚事. // 数ヶ月 is helpful (a couple months) :white_check_mark: -
26 今週の日本語勉匷は満足する。火曜日にレストランで日本人ず日本語を喋れおみお、昚日アキラを読んで、毎日ワニカニ埩習した。ずいえば、今170぀埩習をしなきゃ。 - - -

Akira mini reading session (pages 271-272) from Tuesday 05/21
Not much to report other than the fact I reeeeally gotta practice the basics again (lots of kanji I should have recognized which I had to look up e.g. 揃う、枈む). But there were also new words I saw for the first time which were interesting (e.g. 片付ける to settle a dispute/problem、匕き受ける to take charge of、ノンキ easygoing/thoughtless)

0,0 from Wednesday 05/22 post

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If you start leveling again, we’ll be doing it together! But I definitely understand your hesitation towards the higher level kanji. Especially looking at level 50+, I’m really not excited for those


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I noticed that too recently !! That would be really cute so it’s definitely tempting :eyes: what’s your current number of lessons a day / average level up time? I’m busy tonight but maybe when I get in I’ll try and blitz some reviews


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I’m going at a medium pace right now: no more than 12 lessons per day, about two weeks per level. But I’m going to drastically slow down sometime mid forties, probably to about one month per level.

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I like my current study routine a LOT:

  1. Intentional speaking practice at least once a week :speech_balloon:
  2. Intensive reading at least once a week (Akira) :motorcycle:
  3. My daily diary in Japanese every day :pencil2:
  4. Wanikani reviews every day :crocodile:
  5. Bunpro reviews when I feel like it :owl:

I also - after a whopping 107 days - leveled up to level 39 and a huuuuge part of it is thanks to @hotdogsuplex for tempting me with the idea of leveling up at the same pace together! Idk if I’ll be able to keep it up but for now I’ll try <3

Just gonna keep on keeping on and hope that with each week that passes, I strengthen these habits until they become such a part of my daily/weekly routine that they don’t even feel like a challenge anymore!

image|

日 日蚘 調べた蚀葉か文法 アキラ 䌚話
27 今倜晩ごはんを食べに、先週旅行しおいた友達ず合った。先週圌ず党然䌚えなかったから、今晩は出掛けお楜しかった。私ず同じで, 圌は倧孊で専攻は文孊だったから、䌚う時、い぀も私達が今読んでいる本でも過去に読んだ本でもに぀いお話す。圌のリタレリヌ意芋は衚せるのが䞊手で、私は圌の蚀葉遣いは憧れる。 it took me ages to remember the ‘kou’ of 専攻 but eventually I did! I’m also excited to have used two new vocab words I learnt from this most recent WK level (蚀葉遣い、憧れる). Hopefully I can keep diversifying my Japanese lexicon to make my diary more interesting to write and to read! - -
28 New Phrase: Merihari! (Mix it up, work and play!) 今朝は同僚は私に面癜い日本語のフレむズを教えられた「メリハリを぀けお」。アドノァむスをあげたがる時このフレむズは蚀われる。人はい぀も同じ行動する堎合は、別なこずするように、このフレむズを蚀える䟋えば、残業しお頑匵りすぎる人の堎合は、この人をレラクスしお欲しかったら、この人の行動を倉えお欲しかったら、「メリハリを぀けお」ず蚀った方がいい - - -
29 今午前1:24けど寝られない! ただ日蚘曞いおいないから今曞く - :white_check_mark: -
30 今日は校長先生ず喋った。圌は本圓に頭が良いだから、䌚話するに぀けお新しくお面癜いこずを習う最近、いろいろな英語単語の元に぀いお私に教えられた、゚テむモロゞヌずいうこずだ。私が英語話すネむテむヌブでも、圌は日本人でも、たくさん英語に぀いお習える、圌のおかげで。今日私は「ヒゲ」ずいう単語を暗蚘するために仕方を今日䜜ったの圌ず述べた「ヒゲのフレデむマヌキュリはゲむだ」のこず。圌は面癜がった [verb] + に぀けお, every time [verb] :white_check_mark: -
31 今日は䞉぀授業が教えお、党郚楜しかったこの仕事の゚ンドはだんだん近寄るから、これは考えるずきちょっず悲しくなる。私の同僚ず生埒が奜きだから、次の仕事の人ず働くよりきっず、優しい。でもさ、い぀も知っおない。明日は友達ず登山しお、今晩電車で地域ぞ私達が旅行する。ちょっず疲れたけど、楜しみ 近寄る, to approach; I’m also dissatisfied with just using kana for ‘end’ but I’m writing this in a rush haha - -
1 今日すごく高い山を登ったω足が疲れたから明日は暇だずいうこずをよかった - - -
2 登山したから足の痛いが気をそらしすぎお、昚倜寝られなかった。それで、午前2時にロングヂスタンスのパヌトナヌずスマホで䌚話しお、時差だからパヌトナヌは起きおいた。今日は、ただ党然しなかったけど、埌で家を掃陀したい。 気をそらす, to distract - -

05/31, made it to 0:0 today baby! Let’s gooooo

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Snoopy Cheerleader GIF
Omg we’re gonna be level buddies for a while :face_holding_back_tears: :heart:

I need to start focusing on using more distinctive words too
 Because I always default to using the simples/most common form of a word


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