Entry#1 6/6/11

Fan art Picture by Maria Vaza-Kaczynski aka: me
My name is Maria Patricia Grafin Vaza-Kaczynski, I was born in Mountainview California, homegrown there, and I am now 21 years old. I've been traveling sense I was 2 years old, going to Spain, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rika, Japan, and many states of the US and islands nearby. I have 4 cats, I used to have 5, my favorite neko just died the day after my birthday 4/22/11, his name was Artemis. I have always been interested in the Japanese culture and language, through Anime which I was introduced to by my mother when I was 5 years old. I wish to learn as much as possible to be able to adapt well when I go to Kyoto Seika next April. My hobbies are Rainbow Girls, which is a Masonic Group, my father was a Free Mason, I also play in a 4 Square group, Cosplay, draw Manga/digital/realism/animation/etc... As well as dancing, hanging with friends and being just plain silly. I love meeting new people and my favorite food is Salmon.


1.what did you learn today?
I have learned that even from the alphabet in Japanese, some of them, like Ki, and Ke have actual meanings to them. Ki meaning tree, and Ke being Hair. I have also learned that there is a Japanese women living nearby, a Real full Japanese women, which made Sensai very very happy.
2.most fun things you did today?
One of the most fun things I've experienced today is getting to know my teacher and experiencing what this class if going to be like. I believe it will be very fun and educational.
3.what is your great success today?
I believe one of my successes today is learning how to write (i) properly. I tend to write messy. As for everything else, I feel successful in not messing up so much, I tend to get pretty nervous when on the spot.
4.what is your great challenge today?
One of my challenges today was that I was here at like 8:30 and I believed class was at 9 and I freaked out thinking that class was cancelled or something. Thus I went around asking and found out that class is at 9:45. I'm very glad I didn't decide to leave thinking class was cancelled.
5.what do you want do in order to overcome #3?
I will keep my schedual at hand at all times, just in case.

What I have learned today were really refreshments for what i have been self teaching, but it is always good for me to relearn what I have already learned. Such as the Hiragana Alphabet, which I tend to forget easily how to write, no matter how many times I would try. So learning in a way which someone from Japan would write is really a lot of help. Also, how to say things, and the fact that the Alphabet is said in a certain order, just like with the United States English alphabet. ABC, AIUEO, and so on and so forth. Heading down this journey I know will be fun, and learning that my teacher is someone I do not have to be intimidated to is a lot of help as well. Also, I have learned of what others like me who wish to learn the Japanese language want to do once they've learned it. It's very nice to know I'm not the only one around who is interested in this sort of thing in Ohio, at least to this extent. Living in East Canton for the summer where my mom lives is certainly something which doesn't leave much imagination and excitement to come around.