Over the past month, I've had a few of what I would consider "communication victories." I am quickly realizing that surviving in Japan involves communication as a whole - not just spoken or written language. I am pretty sure - the "deer in headlights" look that I flash on a daily basis says more than I could ever say in words!
The victories involved successfully - with actually fewer hiccups than I mentally prepared myself for - helping two sets of visitors to see and experience Japan. Since Kaz was at work during the week, the responsibility was mostly mine! This experience helped me to realize several things about my language journey in Japan.
1. An understanding of HOW things work can go a long way.
Sometimes I feel as though I am not "progressing" as much as I thought I would be or as much as I want to be when it comes to speaking/understanding the Japanese language (especially after close to seven months). The thing is - I am not sure what "where I though I would be" actually looks like.
Our visitors helped me in many ways to recognize that while I may not be able to say or understand as much as I would like in Japanese - that doesn't mean that I am not learning how to live in Japan. I realized that things like navigating the subway, knowing where to buy tickets, understanding the restaurant routine, etc. actually help to make traveling in Japan much easier. And, if I take a step back - I can definitely acknowledge that these are things I wasn't able to do seven months ago.
2. When others are depending on you, you may do things that you didn't originally think possible.
A reoccurring goal for myself each month is to put myself out there more language-wise...to just make attempts to talk even though I may be terrified or the situation may not go as I had hoped. I have to say - this is really hard for me! I have lost count of the times I have avoided going into a cafe or asking a question at the store because I am not totally sure what to say...and I am not feeling brave enough to just try.
However, when our guests were here, I found myself just "going for it" - and most of the time without giving the fact that I had to talk much thought. I ordered our tickets, I ordered our meals, and I even hailed a cab. Sure, most of the time, I stumbled through my message. I would say as many words as I could in Japanese and then fill the rest in with a type of telegraphic English. In the case of restaurants, I was also usually able to point (thank you Japan for your picture menus)...and in the cab, I usually had GoogleMaps pulled up just in case. Most of the time my message was understood - and the other person responded with a similar mixture of Japanese and English.
On a few occasions, people were a bit ruder than I had hoped; however, kindness has way outweighed rudeness thus far in my experiences. One of the best moments was at a restaurant in Hiroshima. The restaurant was run by two ladies who seemed happy that we were enjoying the food they were making us. I was familiar with the food and able to order in mostly Japanese. As we were leaving, I told one of the cooks that the meal was very delicious (totemo oishii katta desu). She smiled and replied by telling me that my Japanese was very good. We then went on to have a mini-conversation (my first with a person that I don't really know - or without Kaz around). I told her that I was living in Japan and taking Japanese lessons. I managed to tell her that we were here for Kaz's job...I forgot the word for husband so I just pointed to my wedding ring and then said Toyota. She seemed to understand. She asked where we were from - and when I said America, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a keychain that said "Seattle." She told us that she had lived (or visited - not quite sure) there when she was little. She even wanted to know which states we were from. At that point, I had totally exhausted my Japanese skills - so we just smiled and bowed to each other. I left the restaurant smiling wider and walking taller than I had in a while.
3. Struggling with language makes you more aware of other's struggles with language!
Before coming to Japan, many people told me that I would frequently be stopped and asked to help others practice their English. In my first six months in Japan, this had never happened to me. However, I was stopped three times in the time that our guests were here! Perhaps a group of foreigners traveling through busy train stations stand out more than just one foreigner walking around Nagoya.
On two of the occasions, a group of high school students asked us survey questions. After answering them, we had to comment on their English skills. This exercise actually reminded me of surveys that I've had my clients do in the past - whether to work on building speaking confidence or to practice a specific target. Even though I've been able to empathize with the emotions my clients experience before and after these types of exercises in the past...my current language journey has taken my understanding to a whole other level. Even though I know that surveying people to practice my Japanese skills would be a wonderful idea - just the thought of it makes my heart rate instantly increase!
I commented before on the fact that my language journey seems to mirror my work as a speech-language pathologist...and the similarities continue to arise. Last week during one of my lessons, sensei asked me to repeat a sentence that she had said. I realized that this task was almost impossible for me. I was able to repeat the first two words - and then I had to have her repeat the sentence at least four more times before I was able to imitate it.
I now see just how hard of a task this is when the language is so new and different to you. (To my fellow SLPs out there - I promise there will be a blog post with all of these similarities and realizations in one!)
Fast forward a week from the victorious lunch conversation, and I am heading through customs at the airport (for our home visit back to the US). I hand the man my passport - and he asks me something in Japanese. I have absolutely no idea what he said - and in that moment - totally resort back to a "freeze" response. Instead of asking him to repeat what he said, or to say it again slowly...I just stared at him - unable to say anything. Luckily I was at the airport - and he then asked in English -
When will you be returning to Japan? I answered him and the situation was over - but as I walked away...I realized...
I know all of those words...I could have asked someone that same question...and yet, when he spoke to me - I didn't catch any of it. It was like he speaking a foreign language - oh wait, he was!
It's in moments like this one that I realize even more how improvements in one area of language (like increasing my expressive vocabulary) - do not necessarily directly or immediately carryover to other areas - like understanding what someone says to me, speaking in sentences, having a conversation, reading signs at the grocery store, watching the news on TV to determine the weather, making friends....etc.
Phew...learning a new language is complicated and such a HUGE task...seems even more amazing and fascinating to me now that most of us develop language without really "working on it."
And so the journey continues...
Month 7 consisted of visitors! :) We had two groups of friends visit us in Japan. Katie and Kelly arrived on July 1st and stayed for nine days. Then three days later, Katie and Tim visited us for twelve days! Kaz and I loved having our friends in Japan! It was neat to have a bit of "home" with us here in Japan - and to be able to show our friends what our life in Japan is like. 
