somewhere in Hokkaido |
I don't usually mind that I can't speak Japanese. It's only when some Japanese point out that "I should have studied because I'm in Japan", I kinda feel guilty. After all, I've been here in Japan for 3 years. My consolation is that, I'm not the only foreigner who cannot speak Japanese even after years of living here.
So, why didn't I, or we, learn Japanese?
Let me tell you first, that I tried studying Japanese. Before coming to Japan, I took an intensive Japanese language course for month. I learned how to read hiragana, katakana and a few kanji. I learned basic conjugation and syntax of the Japanese language. On my first few months here, I also attended free Japanese classes every Saturday night. My point is, I tried learning Japanese. And most foreigners I know have tried studying Japanese too.
Then, reality sank in:
And these are the realities about studying (or not studying) Japanese: