Learn Japanese for Travel

Every New Year, it’s been a tradition for me and my siblings to list down our New Year’s resolutions. Yes, it is cliché, since most of the time, none of the things of the list gets done. But it was something my mom had reiterated the moment Christmas was over, so it has become a habit to at least try to set down goals for the coming year.

My list last year contained not smoking anymore, drinking less, and not watch TV as much. Yes, none of those ever made it in reality, and not for the lack of trying. I did try to live out my New Year’s resolutions; it’s just that it never quite held past two weeks. Then it hit me: probably resolutions never worked for me because I was always challenging myself not to do something anymore.
This coming year, I resolve to be more positive. This year will be for challenging yourself to do something, not holding back. This year will be for doing something I’ve always told myself I would do, but has been postponing for the future. The future has turned into the present, and it is about time I start on that dream I’ve been putting off.

First off, I resolve to visit Japan sometime this year. I’ve always been curious about it, partly because of watching countless Japanese animation, and partly because of the adorable Hiro Nakamura on the TV show Heroes. (I did warn you that I watch too much TV!) Plus, it is a perfect combination of the bustling cityscape, such as in Tokyo, and that of the quiet elegance of incredibly scenic tourist spots, such as in Itsukushima.

Of course I cannot go travelling without knowing the language. The Japanese language has always awed me (which happens when you start idolizing Hiro too much) in a way you would be awed by the head cheerleader in your high school; it just sounds way out of my league. Good thing there are language packs now available on the internet. These language learning software would be able to help me understand and speak Japanese, something that no matter how many viewings of Heroes can help with. Also, they are very affordable, to the point that there are even amazing discounts such as the ones on Rosetta Stone. The best part is: it’s very easy to learn through this software. It is perfect, since I don’t have to spend so much time learning the language that I won’t be able to go through my travel plans.

I want to do lots of things this year, just to make it a memorable one. 2008 is a good year to start living fully. Promise to self: before the year ends, I will find myself in the middle of the streets of Tokyo, ready to scream: “Yatta!”

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Learn Japanese for Travel