11 July 2009

My final Japanese class was harder than ever. I really felt that I was struggling, but then, I did miss five weeks. The other students' vocabulary seems much more extensive than mine, but the main difference is that they are not self-conscious about speaking in class. I don't want to say anything unless I am absolutely sure I have got it right. I think it is quite a British trait. We finished up with a small party, which was rather awkward at first. One of the students had brought a bottle of amazake (sweet, unfiltered sake), which was not at all nice, and is traditionally drunk in the winter not high summer, but perhaps the alcohol helped to break the ice a bit. I felt I should make small talk in Japanese with the teachers, but struggled to think of anything worth saying.

In the afternoon the three of us went to Tamagawadai. We let Emily have free rein in the large playground first

then carried on down the other side of the ridge to the banks of river Tama. There we found a wide grassy path next to the water, though there was no easy access to the river. Lots of sports were being practised in riverside fields, especially baseball. Emily was happy picking clover and pointing at trains crossing on a nearby bridge.