Four Twins Laughing

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video, youtube

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Too Gone, for Too Long

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accents, Japan, Japanese, Language, lifeguard

…but it’s not too late to start blogging again. I didn’t realize that it’s been almost a month since I wrote last. So much has happened in the last few months that it’s hard to know what to specifically mention or what to say about it.

My summer job at the pool has started again. I taught the first Parent-Tot session this morning and was delighted to meet an Australian woman with two little kids. They had perfect Five-Mile Creek accents, of course. Believe me, a five year old speaking in an Australian accent is charming! There was also a Japanese woman with her four year old son. He told me his name… “Sun——————“. He had a long name and looked a bit startled when I tried repeating what I thought he said. My tongue could have wrenched together something unholy in Japanese or “Sun” might have been confused. As in, “Why is that lady talking baby talk?”

Last summer, I was beginning to study the Japanese language. I learned a smidgin of hiragana and katakana and then dropped it because I decided that I would not go to to Japan. This summer, I am returning to a study of Japanese because I learned that it is not necessary to make a decision about Japan at this point in my life. “A man’s heart devises his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9) Whatever happens, studying Japanese is good for my brain and learning about Japan is intriguing. Tomorrow I can say “konichiwa!” to the Japanese lady, and maybe she won’t mind if I practice a few phrases with her.