An Introduction

Hello to all my non-existent followers! Or rather, こんにちわ！(Hey, I have to practice when I can). My name is Brendan, and I'm 28 years old. I fancy myself an artist, though I don't create works of art for a living just yet, I'm working on that!

I want to preface this entire blog by saying that I don't consider myself a stereotypical "otaku". I've had a budding interest in Japan since I was a child. My mother had old prints of geisha hanging in our dining room, and they are among my earliest memories of any type of artwork. In fact, I may have actually learned WHAT artwork was because of those prints. That said, I will admit I'm not an expert on Japan. I couldn't recite the history of the country, I couldn't name the lineage of Emperors, I couldn't tell you the names of the past several Prime Ministers. I'm merely a person who has always had a fascination with a country that remains faithful to its history and traditions, and maintains a certain aesthetic tranquility, harmony and artistic quality to it, even in its bustling cities.

For a few years now, I've toyed with the idea of learning Japanese. I've been listening to some Japanese music, watching Japanese TV shows and movies, and taking in a bit of pop culture for the better part of a decade now, and have recently come to the decision that I would like to spend some time living there. No concrete plans as of yet, just a planted seed that will hopefully grow into a new branch of my life. I love traveling, and I feel a calling to spend some time there, like there is a bit of myself waiting to be discovered. As a friend of mine put it;

Travel is not just about exploring the world, but also about discovering new things about yourself.

So, that is the current me, in a nutshell. Not terribly descriptive, I know. However, I wish to just make a log of the things I'm learning about the language as I take my lessons (through various resources, a PC based learning software, and a few choice learning tools, workbooks and flashcards, I've been learning hiragana quite swiftly!).

It's a real challenge, and I know it will be a long road, but one has to start somewhere! I've been learning for a little over a month now, so I'm still knee deep in the very basics. This is really a tool for me, so I can reflect on the things I've learned, post questions I have, which I will hopefully be able to answer for myself in the future. If I gain any followers, well, that'd be great! But I really just need something like this for myself. 

So... thanks for reading!

Arigatou gozaimasu!

ありがとうございます！

-Brendan

P.S. If anyone else DOES happen to be reading this, and can correct/critique any of my attempted translations, please feel free to do so! I'm merely a child in my stage of learning here :)