For those that may not know, Enrico has asked me to take over the blog for a few weeks as he is getting quite busy at work.

Just to recap, I’ve been looking for new employment as a result of being laid-off in October.

While times have been pretty tough, one positive note is that I’ve been studying Japanese as much as I can in my spare time when I’m not looking for work.

Now that I have more time to dedicate to my studies, I can feel myself remembering all the grammar structures and vocabulary that I have long forgotten as well as learning new material.

I must admit, I’ve been pretty rusty with my Japanese; especially in the reading and writing areas of the language.  So, that has been my focus these past few weeks.

Certain aspects of the language that I thought to be difficult in the past, are now becoming easier and easier for me to grasp because of my daily exposure to Japanese.

I have also discovered a new appreciation for the language these past few weeks and have decided to go back to Japanese language school to keep my momentum going. I start in late March and can’t wait to get started! (I’ll more than likely blog about my new journey in the weeks following March 24.)

I hope everyone is still trying their best with their studies. No matter how much time you may or may not have for studying, the most important part is to never give up and to never stop learning.

I look forward to finding new ways for us to improve our Japanese! See you on Friday!

• A second season of the podcast. It has been almost 4 years since the last episode of the podcast. We’ve attracted a lot of fans with our 今日の一言 posts on Facebook and Google+ and our blog posts, but The Japanese Learner was originally a podcast. My vision for it was to do something completely different from many Japanese language learning podcasts out there by stepping outside of lessons and listening exercises and hosting discussions with people who are learning Japanese, just like you. The Japanese Learner is all about our journey to Japanese mastery. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend you listen to our earlier episodes.
• A broader range of content. We’ve attracted quite a following with our vocabulary notes on Facebook and Google+ and our blog posts. We’ve written about vocabulary, kanji, grammar, and ways of getting more conversation and listening practice. But there’s so much more to learning Japanese than burying your nose in books and flashcards or attending language exchange meetups (though we certainly encourage those things). Learning another language is a door to learning about a whole new culture. I think we can do more to aid that process of discovery and help you feel more of that sense of wonder.
• Write and pass N2 of the JLPT. As you may have read, I wrote the N3 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. The results of that won’t be mailed out for another month or two yet, but in any case I’d like to set my sights higher. A few years ago, before the N-levels were introduced, I passed level 2. Passing level N2 of the new test would essentially bring me back to where I was before a whole wave of Real Life got in the way of my studies.
• More practical and comprehensive proficiency. I’ve been studying Japanese on and off for a long time, but I’ve never achieved what I could consider real fluency in the language. It’ll take a lot more studying and a broader range of materials to get there but I will never reach the level I’m aiming for if I don’t seriously commit to it. Admittedly, I could stand to practice a bit more of what I preach.  =)

Perhaps I’m biting off more than I can chew, but I’m going to try my best this year. If you haven’t already, I hope that this inspired you to think about your New Year’s resolutions for studying Japanese. Whatever those resolutions may be, I hope we can help you with them in 2012 and beyond.

I will be taking responsibility for administering the Google+ page while Kimberly continues her excellent work maintaining the Facebook page. And I will continue to interact on both networks when I can, of course.  =)

If you’re an avid Google+ user, join in!

First, I would like to apologize for the fact that my internet in my area was down for a few hours last week. This is why there was no blog post. Of all weeks, that was the only week where I did not prepare the blog entry a few days in advance prior to it being posted on the site.

In a way, same goes with this entry as work has been quite busy for me.

So I am making this a Free Talk to let you all know what’s been going on with me.

Too bad that the days of the week do not have 48 hours in a day and not 24! Too much to do and so little time to do it, that sometimes getting them prioritized is hard to do.

I have been quite tired from work and I know it is affecting my studies. Well, there is always next week right? We gotta keep trying and to not give up!

Today, is my birthday and I plan on just having dinner and then going to a party with some friends tomorrow.

I am looking forward to it because some of my Japanese friends and former study partners are going to be there. It will be a great chance for me to speak Japanese as it has been well over a week since I said anything in Japanese.

Every week, it seems we are getting more and more learners coming in and checking out this blog. Thank you everyone for your support.

Make sure to drop us a comment or two sometime to share your thoughts on learning the Japanese language! We really love hearing some feedback to create an open dialogue so we can share our victories over the Japanese language!

Is there anything you would like us to talk about? Do you have any techniques you would like to share with us?

Don’t be afraid! Come on out and send us your comments.

I hope to see you all next week at 5PM EST!

…and that’s where I come in. She has sent me a sheet written in Japanese that she found on the Internet which intends to explain her condition, what she can’t eat, and what she can. To ensure that this sheet is accurate, she has asked me to take a look at it.

The vocabulary I’ve picked up alone is well worth the time I’ve spent on it. I’ve even learned some new English vocabulary in the process! Here’s a peek at the vocabulary that I’ve grabbed from working on this sheet:

• 小麦（こむぎ）　wheat
• 小麦粉（こむぎこ）　wheat flour
• ライ麦（らいむぎ）　rye
• 大麦（おおむぎ）　barley
• キビ（きび）　(common) millet (a variety of grain that I didn’t know about previously)
• 膨らし粉（ふくらしこ）　baking powder
• 麦芽（ばくが）　malt

First, I’m required to post the rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you. (Done, above)
2. Post the rules on your blog. (Done, here)
3. Share 6 non-important habits/quirks about yourself (Done, below)
4. Tag 6 random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. (I guess that depends on if I can find 6 people who won’t be incredibly irritated and ultimately want me dead *gulp*)
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

Now, to list 6 non-important habits/quirks about myself.

1. I can’t resist British humour.  Most recently, I’ve been watching British sitcom “The IT Crowd“.  I’d like to see “The Office”, but the British version, not the American one starring Steve Carell.
2. I recently read “The Game” by Neil Strauss, cover to cover.  It’s really not as evil as you might imagine.  Actually, it’s largely autobiographical and the author wants out of “The Game” by the end of it because he realizes that the pursuit of seduction skills is starting to negatively affect his life and the lives of those around him.
3. I’m subscribed to way more RSS feeds than I can actually keep up with.
4. I’m actually more informed about Japanese news than local news (thanks, Japan Probe!).
5. I’m starting to become addicted to the kendama I bought for myself when I was in Japan.
6. I love going to Vancouver because there’s a Book-Off in the Downtown Vancouver area.  It’s the only one in Canada.

Well, there you have it.  Hopefully I won’t get flamed for doing this just this once for my sister.  And hey, you now know six more things about me that I’ve never mentioned on the show.  Well, except for the bookstore maybe.  How’s that for listener interaction?  =)

Below are the people I’ve tagged, which will be updated as I tag them.

No one has been tagged yet.