Language Learning
-
Japanese Language Learning: Ittekimasu and Itterasshai
My favorite phrases that I’ve recently learned are the Japanese expressions ittekimasu (いってきます) and itterasshai (いってらっしゃい). You use itterasshai when someone else is going away and it’s like saying “go and come back,” or “go and have a good time and come back” or “go and return safely!” This week I even saw it translated from Japanese television as “see you later,” (and yes, at this point I’m thrilled when I can recognize any Japanese words in a show or movie!) On the other side of that we have ittekimasu, which means “I’ll go and come back.” To break it down, the phrase ittekimasu is a combination of the verbs iku…
-
Media Immersion
English language media is fading out of my life as I’m replacing English language entertainment television with movies and even some TV shows in my three focus languages, and switching up my music with some fire playlists from Spotify: This week I also hit my one-year streak on Duolingo – hooray! #things to do during snow days
-
Delightful and Challenging Language Learning
This week in language learning, I continued my Pimsleur, Innovative Language, Fluent Fiction, and Duolingo, and also enjoyed watching some foreign language films in Spanish, Japanese, and Vietnamese. Watching language films while learning them is definitely a delightful and enriching experience, but for me, it’s a very humbling one to see how little I actually know at this point, especially in Japanese and Vietnamese, which I just started in the fall. But knowing that also gives me a sense of excitement that there’s so much more to unravel. The most challenging aspect so far is learning Hiragana, but I also think that the characters are so beautiful that I’d like…
-
2025: Year in Review
From the first cozy day of 2025 relaxing at home to seeing many difficult times for everyone to the last night of 2025 out dancing with my sister and friends on New Year’s Eve to usher in a wonderful beginning to the New Year, 2025 was a tumultuous year but had its great moments, too, and was a year of change for me. I started 2025 taking the “Science of Well Being” class on Coursera, which was my first wish-list item, and I did implement several lifestyle changes last year as a result of it. The class uses data to show how certain lifestyle changes can rewire your brain for…
-
Happy 2025
Happy New Year! Normally I like to celebrate New Year’s Day with a nature hike or walk, but this year I had a cold, so I just relaxed at home. It did give me time to think on the year ahead, crochet, and immerse myself in a lot of Spanish language films and television shows for my Spanish language learning (and enjoyment, of course). I also bought a premium Duolingo subscription for language lessons, as a gift to myself. I’ve started a new blanket for 2025, with a bright and festive row with colorful popcorns to celebrate the new year, a white row for a fresh new year and with…
-
My Curiouser and Curiouser List
As I sit here in the quiet of the morning feeling very grateful for my loved ones, before I start cleaning and cooking for Thanksgiving this afternoon, I’m thinking about the year ahead and beyond and noting all of the things I’d like to do. My list is heavy on learning and exploring, so I’m calling it “My Curiouser and Curiouser List.” You could say my cat Steven is my inspiration this morning, climbing the Thanksgiving tree and looking curious (and cute) as ever! I’ve always loved the Alice in Wonderland phrase “curiouser and curiouser,” and often use it as an exclamation to describe something strange, yet here I’m using…
