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| SpongeBob, too, questions my motives from time to time. |
I mean, okay, she didn't drag out her question quite so dramatically, nor did she pose her concerns in English. But I got the point. Practically speaking, there's no reason for me to be taking Japanese. Some students are looking to fulfill Columbia's language requirement, but I placed out of that with Spanish. Other students want to reconnect with their heritage, but I'm Vietnamese, not Japanese. (I also learned Vietnamese for six years, taught it every Sunday for four years, and speak it all the time with my parents and relatives, which is why I'm not taking Vietnamese instead!) Finally, many students profess a deep interest in Japanese culture, but while I indulge in the occasional anime or order of sushi, I'm by no means a Japanophile.
And so the question stands: "Whyyy [am I taking Japanese]?"
Well, to be perfectly honest, I'm just naturally drawn to languages, and of all the ones offered this semester, Japanese happened to fit into my schedule the best! Granted, there's a teeny-tiny compulsory component to my enrollment in this class. Because of my linguistics concentration (I'm majoring in human rights with a double concentration in math and linguistics), I do have to take a language that 1. isn't my native language (sorry, Vietnamese) and 2. isn't a European language (sorry, Spanish). Otherwise, however, my presence in Kent 522B is a product of my love for languages and the coincidental convenience of Matsui-sensei's time slot.
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| The fact that I'm taking Japanese is almost as random as this clip art. |
Despite how arbitrary and uninformed my decision to take Japanese may seem, I'm really enjoying the language so far. The writing system as well as the grammar intimidated me at first, but the progress we've made in a few short weeks has convinced me that nothing's impossible if I put my mind to it. Anyway, I hope to continue learning Japanese at least through the second year, so maybe I'll be seeing y'all around a lot more in days to come!
P.S. Does anyone appreciate my play on words? "Bill" plus "feelings" equals "Beelings"? No? Just me? That's cool.
