Japanese and Howl

Enjoyed 'Howl's Moving Castle' tonight. What a lovely movie, I was thinking as I watched. Surprised how much of the Japanese I could understand, and of course, how much sounds utterly mysterious still. Language class has really pushed me to try to understand more and more.

What I'm enjoying now about learning Japanese is the structure and conformity of the language. It's beautifully simple because there are few exceptions to grammatical rules, as of yet. Of course, the rules are numerous, but I like studying them because they are tangible and I can use them right away.

Watching a nice movie in Japanese with pretty music and a lively and complex plot added to my energy to want to understand what's going on in Japan in its own Japanese terms.

I've never been Japan-obsessed or into manga or whatever clever Japanese gadgit, but I do like learning Japanese, and trying to speak it. That being said, I've a long, long way to go to really be skilled at it. Keeping on plugging...

I was given good advice here to take it easy and spend a little less time doing everything possibly doable. I decided to take that advice to heart. I'm on hiatus. I blew a fuse today and will spend some time not doing my regular activities for now, Japanese class aside. In the meantime, my mind is going to work on what it needs, and my body is going to work on what it needs. I think, when they have decided, they will let me know.

Otherwise, all is well tonight. The rain of a couple days ago has let up for the moment, and the air feels crisp and clear. I head off to bed with the last melody of the Moving Castle hanging in that air. Like Howl, may we all find our own heart after having caught a demon/air spirit thingy and making it your fire-slave and having a significant other who is under a spell that makes her have gray hair.

Or, as the Japanese might say, 'おしあわせに(O-shiawase ni)': May you have happiness.

Night all.