The second week was more difficult for a few reasons. The first unfortunate point was I found myself without the abundance of motivation that had carried me through the first week. Homework dragged further and further into the night as I procrastinated, occasionally creeping up to the midnight deadline. I also had grown more comfortable with my host family, which was certainly a good thing, but feeling at home, I didn’t focus as much on behaving “correctly.” I left the fan on one day, and left the window open on a rainy morning later that week. Now, it didn’t help that I was waking up at 7:00 and leaving the house at 7:30 to catch my bus, but that was no excuse to absentmindedly waste electricity and let rain into the house. I was gently reminded to take care (\u6c17\u3092\u3064\u3051\u3066\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044\u306d), which I’m glad happened in my second week with plenty of time left than in the third or fourth.<\/p>\n
Despite the difficulties, my Japanese was becoming a lot better. While talking with my host family was very difficult the first few days, we started to have (what felt like!) conversations during dinner the second week. The sentences I was using weren’t complicated, and mimicry of things I had heard proved to be the best way to express myself. I grew more comfortable in our lessons, and a few friends and I kept our conversations in Japanese during lunch after class.<\/p>\n
As a part of HIF, we have to complete an independent study. While some students decided to do serious research into the Self-Defense Forces (\u81ea\u885b\u968a) or the Japanese health system, I chose to do my project on Hakodate’s jazz cafes. (So far this has been a very enjoyable decision.) On Friday, I headed to a small performance space just a few blocks from the hotel I’d initially stayed at and listened to about an hour and a half of a piano\/bass duo. The pianist was especially fantastic, and I was so glad that I was able to do this sort of thing as part of my independent study. I took quite a few videos and photos, and I’m sure I’ll be back.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The second week was more difficult for a few reasons. The first unfortunate point was I found myself without the abundance of motivation that had carried me through the first week. Homework dragged further and further into the night as … Continue reading