Hello everyone, it's been a while! Today is Tanabata in Japan, which is the day when two stars, Altair and Vega meet in the sky. This day is often celebrated as a day to have wishes granted. Many people write their wishes on pieces of paper and attach them to a tree for everyone to see! I think it would be pretty relevant to talk about mine. (Pictured below)
The blue paper in the center of the image reads "日本語が上手になるように", which means "I wish to become good at Japanese." These past few weeks I've been extra diligent with my studies, spending two to three hours in class daily with an added 1-2 hours of optional speaking time. Being immersed in a culture with a language you have such a slight grasp on is frustrating in it's own way, but very motivational. Nanzan University has done a great job all this time with it's resources and classes so I have no doubt I will become skilled at Japanese.
Aside from studying, I've been doing a lot these past few weeks with classmates and friends made in Japan. Last week everybody in the program took a trip to an old town in Gifu, and explored the old town and it's restaurants and temples and so on. This was probably my favorite trip since I was able to explore completely on my own throughout some of these shrines.
Another fun event was making Japanese traditional snacks, Wagashi. These snacks are handmade and filled with delicious red bean paste!
I'm sure that even more fun activities will occur over these next few weeks since I have a lot planned! Look forward to it!
Peter Fitzpatrick
<p>Hi! I'm Peter Fitzpatrick. I major in New Media Interactive Development and minor in Japanese at Rochester Institute of Technology. I'm going to be spending a few months this summer achieving my dream of visiting Japan by taking part of the Nagoya Summer - Language and Culture program. I'm excited to experience Japan and it's language in a natural setting and meet tons of new people. After the program is over I hope to have a much deeper understanding of the Japanese language. When I'm not programming or brushing up on my Japanese, I'm often playing volleyball or reading some of my favorite manga.</p>
