It’s been a while since I last updated.  Not much progress has been made, although I have been trying out my skills using Ruby on Rails to come up with something.  A little bit of a quizzing program, along with a list generator.  Not sure how well that’s going to go, but I think I’ve still got plenty of time left.

Class starts this week as well, so there’s a little bit more of my time being taken up.

But I haven’t given up yet.  I’m hitting a bit of a rut, but I still have plenty of time left.  I managed to get my grubby little hands on the 2006 JLPT, so I’ve got more study material to go through.  Almost too much, though.

Never did think that this was going to be a cakewalk.

Any progress is good progress, no? Now if only I could stop making stupid little mistakes.

Now 4 weeks to go until next semester. I guess I should finally get to studying those week 1 lists I made up, eh?

• に際して (L2)
  • Meaning: when; on the occasion of; at (the time of); in
  • Noun + に際して
• させる (L3)(G22)
  • Meaning: make, let someone do something
  • ru-verb: drop る, add させる
  • u-verb: drop final ーう, add ーあせる
  • 来る: こさせる
  • する: させる
  • (director) は/が (cast) に (action)
• どうして (L4)
  • Meaning: Why? How
  • Use with んです
  • Example: どうして来なかったんですか？

For some reason the words just don’t stick very well. I hope it’s not a symptom of my getting older. Hopefully it’s just because

I just haven’t really had an opportunity to sit down and concentrate fully on the words on the list and the cards that Genius flashes in front of me. I do remember a bit more than I thought I would, so I guess that’s a good sign.

Then again I haven’t even started in on the kanji itself yet. Maybe that’ll go a little smoother. Hell it might even help with the vocabulary.

Until tomorrow…

361 days 12 hours 53 minutes remaining.

The presentation is tomorrow, but I figure since it’s still part of my studies, here it goes onto the blog.

The assignment called for the following:

• what is the favorite place
• where it is – describe the location using the direction words you’ve learned
• what do you do there – describe two or more activities using te-form verb(s)
• why you like the place – use ~から and explain
• a suggestion for the audience to do something

I hope I covered everything.
私の好きな所は本屋です。好きな本屋は町の東があります。暖炉のそばで勉強して、おいしいチーズケーキを食べます。 もちろんたくさん本を読みます。あそこは休める、静かな所ですから、でも静かすぎれば、よく眠ってしまいます。いつか一緒に良いコーヒーを飲みながらおもしろい本を読みましょう。

What’s the purpose of this blog? To help me keep track of my progress as I study for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 2. Why Japanese? Why not? Why level 2? Because I’m a glutton for punishment.

I’m planning (whether or not I actually follow through with this is another story) to put what I’m currently studying for the week as one post. Some other posts will deal with just what is going on during the course of my studies. Not particularly interesting for anyone, I’m sure, but hell, I’m doing this more for me than for anyone else. I figure if I put this up, for one I can edit my progress from anywhere I have a connection, and two I’m hoping it’ll be some sort of motivation to actually get in gear and study.

So there it is, the purpose of this particular blog in a nutshell. And now here I am committing myself to actually studying for the JLPT. And what happens after I take it and pass/fail? If I pass, well I suppose I’ll just have to throw myself a party. And if I fail? I keep on going with the blog, studying away. As disappointed as I would be, I guess I’d just need to “just keep swimming.”

My plan:

• 100 vocabulary words a week
• 20 kanji a week
• a couple of grammar points here and there
• a lot of caffeine and praying

Of course this is in addition to taking Japanese at UAF. Hoo boy this is going to be something else.

The countdown begins…364 days 9 hours 53 minutes to go.