ぼくのしゅまつ

きんよびに　アパラトで　プレシデンチアルデバテを　みました。　つぎ　パラテに　コロヴァリジュで　いきました。どようびに　さんじごろ　フツバルガムに　ノトルダムのスタヂムで　いきました。そして　ノロスヂニガハルで　ばんごはんを　たべました。たいてい　ノロスヂニガハルで　たべます。　ぜんぜん　どようびに　べんきょしませんでひた。にちようびに　ごぜん　じゅにじごろ　おきました。ヌヨルクチマスを　よみました。そして　にほんごとビジナスラ　べんきょしました。いつも　にほんごのしゅくだいが　あります。としょかんに　いま　いきます！じゃまた！

As you can tell, I had a the same weekend as a lot of other ND students.  I had fun on Friday and Saturday, and then got down to business on Sunday.  The football game was fun because we won, which is nice after losing most of our games last year. Now  I am busy studying for my exams this week.  It isn't nearly as much fun.

ぼくはのにち。

まいあさ　ぼくは　はちじに　おきます。あさごはんを　たべます。くじに　がっくうに　いきます。いつも　まいあさに　コーヒーを　のみます。くじはんに　じゅぎょうが　あります。つぎ　ひろごはんを　たべます。たいてい　ピザを　たべます。よく　つぎ　としょかんで　べんきょします。しちじごろに　ばんごはんを　たべます。ばんに　うちで　べんきょします。ごぜん　いちじごろに　ねます。　

As you can tell, I have a pretty boring daily schedule.  I usually have work on most days, but I wasn't sure what the word for work was.  Normally I would say I just go there, but since I work at the dining hall, I thought it might get confusing for everybody if they thought I was going to the dining hall so much, and then eating afterwards!

I spent a lot of time working on Japanese and my other classes, especially now since all of the first midterms are coming up soon.

I'm looking forward to finishing all the tests I have in the coming weeks.  Thats for sure.

にほんご！

はじめまして。コレマんです。どおぞよろしく。ぼくは　ノトルダムだいがくのがくせいです。さねんせいです。せんこうは　ビジナスです。じゃまた！

Well, that first bit of typing Japanese was a bit of a struggle.  I'm still working through learning to switch between Hiragana and Katakana and not letting it convert to kanji every time! I bet it will improve in short time.

Why did I choose to take Japanese this year?  Well, I will be attending Sophia in Tokyo for a semester in the spring, and it seemed like it would be helpful to pick up as much of the language as possible before I went.  While this seemed pretty daunting at first, the knowledge that I will be able to use what I have learned in only a few months makes it much easier to work harder at.

I have always been interested in Japanese culture.  Growing up, my family would host students for a few weeks over the summer.  I loved Pokemon up through fifth and sixth grade, and Dragonball through seventh.  Once I started watching films more seriously, I was exposed to Ozu. And in the last couple of years I have started reading some Haruki Murakami novels.  All of these led to my decision to apply for the Tokyo program.

I'd have to say so far things are going alright in Japanese.  It is definitely difficult, but the amount I feel that I am learning every day makes it worth it.  I'm sure it will only get harder in content, but I also feel that learning it will become easier.