Stealing Japanese

Every Thursday night I take the train to Matsue and then walk about 45 minutes to the Matsue International Community Center. There I meet up with the Maries and we spend a hour and a half with two of the most patient souls that have had to deal with me in a while. Granted I've paid them, but not much. It cost me 1000 yen (about $8.50) for I believe 16 lessons spread out over the next 3-4 months.

The class is great. Since its just the three of us and the teachers we get a great deal accomplished and although I feel like my brain is about to deflate, I haven't left disappointed yet. This Japanese course is in addition to the correspondence Japanese course that alot of us started about a month and a half ago. The beauty of it is that it is free, there are tests we have to mail in and I can see progress in my ability to identify and write in Japanese. Go figure.

Some of my favorite "ah ha" moments in the last month have been in the ichi nensei (1st grade) classes. Abe-sensei will be in the front translating the english words of the lesson to the kids and I'll be in the back listening to it the opposite way. Cause really, most of the english these kiddos are learning is about par with where I'm at in my Japanese. There have been times when I've even made a couple of noises subconsciously, similar to the "ah ha", that cause a majority of the students to turn around and see whats causing the racket.

Its taken awhile, but I finally got the desire to learn this blasted language....and I still have a long way to go.


The other part of my story for today's blog is based on a comment made by good friend Marie Mcgill last night as we were leaving the Community Center. Just so happens that there was a decent sized plant nursery along our path back. As we passed, looking at all the pretty flowers and winter plants set out along with mulch, and potting soil and pots of various sizes, she said exactly what I was thinking.

"There's no way any of this would be left out over night in Ireland!", and nor would it in the States. Seriously, Marie and I could have walked away with a truckload of plants and planting supplies. Everything we saw was no more than a hop across a single rope stretched from one post to the other that designated the parking lot entrance.

Now you might be imagining some kind of antiquated flower shop, but this place was on the scale of a small "Home Depots" garden department.

Its so hard to imagine why the owners/managers wouldn't lock it all away with a chain link fence or anything really, but I also imagine they can't imagine why they think they should. It was funny cause McGill and I sat there and discussed pretty much where we're from, the stuff would be gone solely because it was out. Not that anyone would need it or want it, but just because it was there.......free for the taking. Granted, they were just plants, but it is common for all kinds of shops to leave boxes of merchandise outside their shops unattended. There is a aire of trust here that is just refreshing.

I will also add to all of this that it could very well be isolated to the more rural areas of Japan. I cant imagining this type of thing happening in Osaka or Tokyo, but who knows. And the most ironic aspect of it all.....earlier that night Mcgill had her bike stolen outside her house. Hence why she was walking with me.

I will post soome pictures for this later today.