Well. It's like I had been in a pretty intense relationship for the past three months. I felt like I was working hard to make it work. But in the end I got a cold slap in the face and had to watch the JLPT walk off with some Chinese* transfer student cause he has the smarts to make a future.
I was actually kinda depressed in the aftermath that is Monday-back-to-the-real-world-work. I studied a little, but it just wasn't the same. It was a hollow lie. The language didn't love me and never would.
But I perked up a bit when I realized I had gone through another sub-piphany. You may recall that is my term for when I realize I suddenly know a bunch of new words and can hear them all around me. I may not be able to find gainful employment with my language skills, but at least I now understand the office gossip--which is about me-- all that much more.
So what I'm saying is, even knowing how things turned out, JLPT, baby, I don't regret a minute of our time together.
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*that seems a really random thing if you weren't at the test. Basically, there were way more Asians than other varieties of foreigners there; most of them seemed to be high school exchange students.
I would like to share that the tests up in L.A. had many more Asian flavor participants as well.
ReplyDeleteMy buddy that took the level 3 exam said it was obvious when he was waiting for me, after his test, downstairs from the level 2 rooms and saw me among the swarm.
Keep studying clay. Perhaps you don't truly realize how far you've come with understanding your new language because you hear it a lot more often than an individual living in a country where it is not the mother tongue.
Man, I couldn't agree more. Except that I felt like I was more flirting with her than dating her in a serious relationship since I didn't study like I said I would. Either way, my puppy love was shot when she pushed me down on the playground. Ha ha.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of not taking the JLPT 2 ever again, instead jumping straight to JLPT 1 in a couple of years time. Just keep on studying!
ReplyDeleteI've decided to take a short break though since all I did for half a year was study.
Hey Mari, as an isolated JET, I got tons of free time to study, so might as well!
ReplyDeleteI need to get around to my Murakami novel too...
Great Mindset! After the holiday season, I shall also return to my studies.
ReplyDeleteHey, Clay! Can I be that 親しい with you on this, my first comment? (^v^)
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to give you a bit of encouragement in terms of the JLPT and studying. I took lvl 1 after living in Japan for about a year and passed after copious hours of study, study and more study.
I'm Australian, without even a hint of Chinese/Korean/Japanese blood in me so it can be done. I was the only 'caucasian' in the room at the test and the only 'white' student at the Japanese language school where I took some prep classes for the test.
My advice? You've got to read. Buy as many books with grammar and kanji exercises as you can and watch lots of tv (subtitles are fantastic!)
Good luck for next year!
k