5 months on...
It's been 5 months or so since I last blogged.
The reasons? Mostly just too busy, but I also lost the love I had for blogging. However, after ditching the whole make-money-from-blogging mentality I am back and looking forward to blogging again.
I have a lot more to say and share about learning Japanese and living in Japan, but first I want to document the 2 main goals I have right now:
- Learn Japanese
- Get fit
When I arrived in Japan I was running regularly, eating small meals and I started to lose weight. I started pushing myself too hard with work/study, stopped running and ended up drinking coke to fuel those study/work sessions. Since then I've put on 5kg! I was already a little chubby, even after losing the weight I put on as a lazy teenager. I only have my self to blame.
Also, the study was mostly not Japanese, it was computer based. I'm in a constant battle between advancing my career/skills, working a full-time job and learning to speak the local language. I would tell myself I didn't have the time to study properly. So my study was sporadic at best. What a load of bollocks. I needed a slap in the face!
That slap in the face came and after a big look at my current situation I decided enough was enough. I cut back on all the extra non-critical things I was trying to fit into my life and focused it down to 2 main goals. Japanese and a healthier lifestyle. The Japanese study has already been progressing well and I've just started a caffeine/junk detox (the headaches suck!).
So I'm marking today as the turning point.
I'm going to be blogging more about learning Japanese & losing weight. Maybe I can combine both somehow. Either way, both goals are similar. They require daily work and the willpower and stubbornness to keep going when things get tough.
I'm going to be tired, mentally and physically, but the best feeling in the world is that feeling of achievement when you've reached your goals.
http://www.goddesscarlie.com
Good luck! I'm on the same journey myself right now. I'm happy to say I've lost 10 kg but my goal is another 5.
Web developer & Blogger
http://www.nihongonotes.com
Well done Carlie, that's a lot to lose. I think losing weight is a big achievement, since it's not just a change in eating but requires a change in lifestyle too. Keep up the good work!
Web Engineer
I just moved to Tokyo from San Francisco, so have a similar set of goals. I think I've lost a few pounds already with this insane heat! I'm definitely hoping that being surrounded by Japanese speakers all day I'll find it easier to get past the basics... where I've been stuck for the last few years.
Good luck to you Chris!
My current challenge is getting a guarantor for the apartment we like... turns out the guarantor service I hoped to used didnt go for it, so now I need to get creative...
Web developer & Blogger
http://www.nihongonotes.com
Thanks. Definitely being surrounded by Japanese speakers helps. Hope all goes well with your hunt for a guarantor!
Field Slave
http://www.jamaipanese.com
welcome back pal! Blogging with only money has the goal is almost certain a recipe for failure.
Good luck with the weight loss goal and looking forward to your Japan/Japanese related posts and pictures.
Web developer & Blogger
http://www.nihongonotes.com
Cheers. Somewhere along the line the dollar signs spun in my eyes. The whole make money from blogging thing has long passed and only continues for a select few, I'm glad I didn't waste too much energy on it.
Back to the personal blog I always meant it to be
Web Developer and Part-time オタク
Nice to see a fresh post ^^ It's really really easy to let your Japanese study slip. Happens to me all the time if I'm honest >_<
Student
It's like we're all on the same path! Except I have another thing to add toward that list, study for all school subjects I have to pass the finals and get into university. Oh what a daunting task that is ahead of me!
Getting fit though, have to prepare for the ladies in university. ^^; Or if not for myself.
Web developer & Blogger
http://www.nihongonotes.com
Good luck with your studies!
Student
http://celestcel.wordpress.com
Wow, it's great that you've come back. :)
I don't know if you remember this, but a while back you wrote a post about a certain Twitter user struggling w/ learning Japanese, by the name of Brokenvai... ;)
Well, I was backtracking through google of my user name "Brokenvai" and happened up your blog post from way back then, and it made me smile. I've come a long way from then, and I'm just so glad so many people came together to provide their advice in a time of a language-struggler's need.
Now I love languages. I'm going through another review of 漢字 and then I'll be back on my way on 日本語 very soon. In fact the the review time has just come up again...
I just wanted to say thank you for all your help, that I'll be reading your blog very closely, and that I hope we can keep close contact. :)
Web developer & Blogger
http://www.nihongonotes.com
I'm so glad that old post was of some help to you and thanks for taking the time to let me know! The reason I write is so that maybe someone can avoid the errors and frustrations I have come across in self-tutoring. So the fact it helped you is encouragement for me to keep writing :)
Let's keep in touch and I would love to hear your comments/advice on any future posts I make.
Lecturer
http://www.victorymanual.com
I'm glad to see you back, and in a non-capitalist capacity. The internet these days seems to be more about writing copy for cash than actually writing anything useful, and it was one of the major factors that convinced me I need to stop writing VictoryManual (for the time being).
I've also just jumped back into J-study mode, but for a different reason - My papers for grad school are based on metaphorical language in English and Japanese.
I hope to jump back in to blogging in the next few months, if I've got anything interesting to say.
Good luck to you with your revived Nihongo Notes!