Why Japanese?

It all started out in middle school, with the hype over those fat Uni AlphaGel mechanical pencils worth an entire month's allowance. Next it was ramen. Then Hi-chew. Anime. Green tea KitKat. Mochi ice cream. (I sometimes wondered why it was so hard for our own country to invent anything innovative and pretty at the same time. American products just seemed big to me.) Japanese inventors were geniuses. The smallest appliance seemed revolutionary.

Then, in our brief study of medieval world history in seventh grade, feudal Japanese lifestyle fascinated me. That was when I began to delve deeper into this mysterious culture. I explored the dynastic and political phases through which it went through, its people's strong appreciation for art, its elaborate code of honor and courtesy. For a people who were willing to commit seppuku at taking the slightest offense, they certainly did seem to exhibit an equally violent zeal for life. Among the Japanese, I got the impression of a people who dared themselves to regret anything they ever did, whether right or wrong, that shaped who they were.

This was enough for me to justify my passion to learn Japanese - the first step to living vicariously abroad...

P.S. And the food... don't even get me started about the food...