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torturing people in Japanese

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

I went out for drinks at a cheap izakaya a ten minute walk from our office. I was delayed because of my Japanese lesson* but one of the chaps drew a short straw and returned to meet me. Anyway, I tortured everyone with my awful Japanese as much as we could all bear. I'd told the short-straw chap that I was hoping to write the JLPT N4 test next year, and after listening to my drunken blather he said that he thought I could write N3, which is a significant step up. Someone there told me that he loves his job and that he's learning lots of stuff that will take him somewhere in his career. Everyone agreed that the office is putting together a good effort on teaching other English or Japanese. It was all great to hear.

*My teacher is returning to Japan for a visit. She suggested we meet, which was never possible when she lived here because of the lock-down, then not possible because she'd moved to Austria. Here's hoping!