dorchadas: (Cherry Blossoms)
[personal profile] dorchadas
And I didn't spontaneously combust or have any of my exaggerated worries come to pass! Overcoming my anxiety like:

Sumo Dodge gif


I met Aya-san at a Starbucks in the Loop and after some brief English introductions, we spent most of the hour chatting in Japanese. That makes it sound much easier than it was, since I spent a lot of time trying to think of the right word or how specifically to phrase what I was trying to say, especially when I was explaining my favorite podcast to her--I said Revolutions, if you're curious--or telling about how [livejournal.com profile] jaiderai conspired to set [personal profile] schoolpsychnerd up with me. But even with pauses and my missteps, we managed to hold a conversation!

Afterward, she mentioned that my vocab is pretty good--which it should be with all the studying I do on the L every weekday--and I told her that I don't want to work on writing practice with her, since if I want writing practice there are plenty of Japanese-speakers I know that I can post to. We'll be working out of the venerable old げんき textbook, which [personal profile] schoolpsychnerd fortunately still has from her college days and going over grammar and its usage in conversation, and then the lessons will just be chatting, which is exactly what I need.

Next week, I undertake that most classic of Japanese experiences: the 自己紹介 (jikoshoukai, "self-introduction.") Better get working on that.

Date: 2015-Aug-14, Friday 02:52 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] q99.livejournal.com
A risky tactic! Don't get all the way out of the way and get bowled over.

I really like Sumo, btw. It's an entertaining sport.

Date: 2015-Aug-14, Friday 05:05 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] q99.livejournal.com
Aw, that's no fun.

A thing I really like about Sumo is it's quick, decisive, yet takes clear skill. A lot of sports have periods where action stops and not much is getting done (the boxing clinch, for example). Sumo doesn't have that. It's a short, impressive sport.
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