三日月を見て詠む俳句水の中

みかづき を　みて よむ はいく　みず の なか



A crescent moon
gives way to a haiku
swimming at night.
みちこ

I’ve got another story I’d like to share with all of you. It’s a story about my success as a student of the Japanese Language and I`m honored to share this with all of you. To those who already speak fluently and those who have just picked it up. After just about 9 months of studying I had the opprotunity to use all that I had learned in a brief conversation that left both parties happy, and laughing.

 While I was in a supermarket I was looking for my favorite salad dressing that I use to make a pasta salad dish I love to make….and eat. When I arrived at the salad dressing section a Japanese couple was also standing there, mulling over which one to choose. Then they started speaking to each other, not in English, but in Japanese. I could make out parts of what they were saying. Then I decided to push my fear of speaking aside and walked up and said “I recommend this one” Of course I said it in Japanese and she turned to me and asked simply in Japanese, “It taste good?” to which I replied with a solid “yes”(Hai) and gave her thumbs up. Her husband looked at me and smiled and we parted ways.

 I would again run into this same couple in line at the register, and their faces lit up as they saw me. Instantly I became worried that they would break out in a full-on Japanese conversation leaving me stuttering. To my surprise they spoke English as well and they asked if I remembered them and then thanked me for the suggestion.  We then carried on in a mild banter in both English and Japanese. The woman would later reveal to me that she was actually a Japanese Language teacher in Japan and was impressed with my pronunciation, tone and pitch. Inside I was bursting with joy. I wanted to hug both of them. Often times I had always felt like I was struggling in my growth to speak, but it was great to have this confirmation. Since then my courage has definitely raised and I approach Japanese people whenever it seems it would be most comfortable to engage in a conversation.

Thank you for reading. and to those of you who study with me, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to jump out of your shells and give it a go. You’re probably better than you know. And for those of you who are fluent I hope we have the chance to speak someday.

I often get asked why I choose to wear my hair…uhhh…no hair, why I chose to be bald. and most recently why I have chosen to grow a beard.  Well both come with many answers and preferences. Which I will share now. Well, about being bald, many many years ago I wore many different hairstyles and I even changed them almost once a year, that is, until my last hairstyle until now. I grew it long enough to where it was past my shoulders and then decided to dreadlock it. I thought it would look really cool.and it did. Unfortunately, during that process I damaged my hair directly at the root, and It stopped drowing well on certain parts of my hair because of that choice. I had always said, “If I ever started balding I am just gonna shave the whole thing off” because I didn’t wanna be one of those guys with the half moon going around the sides, or doing the “comb over”, or the big blank spot at the back of my head. So it’s been about 10 years since that happened and I have worn a bald hairdo since. And honestly, it’s become preferred. No more are the days spending 10 or 20 minutes managing hairstyles. Now I just get up and my day begins the second I jump out of bed. No fussing around anymore. Though, from time to time whilst shaving my head I tend to take chunks of my scalp off the top by aggressively shaving. And that is all I have to say about that.

 About my beard, well, for the last 8 years I had to work for a company that had strict facial hair policies I can’t say I agreed with. I don’t think anyone company should have the right to say how someone is grooming, save working in the food business. So when I finally quit my last job I have finally been able to grow facial hair and intend to grow it until I feel it’s time to shave it off. I must also mention, I am also influenced to have a beard by hero of mine, Darrell Lance Abbot also known as Dimebag Darrell, he had one of the most awesome beards I have ever seen. Will I grow it that long. Only time will tell.