My name is Ian Kim and I'm a sophomore at Princeton University. I am really excited to study 日本語 starting this fall.
Why I'm Learning Japanese
I've chosen to study Japanese for a number of reasons. To start off, Japan has always been a far country (language barrier) but also a close one (frequent travel, many family members went to Waseda 大学). Growing up in Asia, our family spent many of our holidays in Japan (i.e. 温泉 trips to Nagasaki, skiing in Hokkaido).
I've always loved Japanese culture. Looking back, I grew up on Detective Conan and even now Japanese TV is still part of my life (I just finished Hanzawa Naoki). Some of my favorite music is Japanese too: from the new (Daoko) to the classic (Miyako Harumi). Japanese traditional painting and print art is also of interest for me (Art History of Japan last semester was a true pleasure). I'm also a big fan of Japanese food. Natto and chutoro on top of warm rice is my favorite meal full stop. Knowing Japanese I hope will help me appreciate it all on a new level.
I also think Japanese will be important in my future. I'll be graduating from Princeton as a US Army 2nd Lieutenant. Japan is one of my choices for deployment and I would like to know the language if I have the opportunity to go to Okinawa or the main islands. After serving my country, I want to possibly move back to Asia to live/work. Japan [with its labor shortages and cutting edge tech companies] seems like a good place to look. If I choose to stay in America, I'd like to pursue a career related to national security and Japan is a major ally.
First Impressions
I'm excited about learning Japanese. From the aesthetic of the kanas to the use of onomatopoeia, there are so many aspects to be excited about (and I also find honorifics really fascinating).
On the other hand, though its only been a few days, there are aspects that I am finding difficult. One is writing. Handwriting has been a weakness in other languages I know as well. Sato 先生 saids it reflects personality and your inner quality so...
On a side not, a long term goal I've set for myself is finding a natural voice in Japanese [not sound too much like a TBS announcer or at least not too much like a foreigner]. We haven't broached it yet but I'm also
But, all and all, I'm somewhat reassured by the fact that I'm not in it alone (other JPN 101 peers and 先生方). And I'm determined to work hard. ファイト!
読んでくれてありがとう。
じゃあ、またね!
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