The first day of the semester always defies expectation. Creative writing looked interesting and stimulating in the golden olden days of registration, but the requisite anthology of Canadian poetry turned out to be depressingly avant-garde. Japanese 101, in contrast, sparked my attention even during the doldrum hours that usually begin after 6:00 pm. It is a credit-filler course for me, chosen only after it was clear that Russian, Spanish and German were at impossible times, but even so...
On the long walk back to my vehicle, I said "Hajimemashite, Surname First Name. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu" over and over. I am still hazy on whether or not my own name is supposed to go after Hajimemamgawehgetcetera or not. Perhaps it is supposed to be the name of the person I am addressing? The professor is a nice lady who explained that kanji tattoos are risky. She said a certain symbol for 'peace' can mean 'cheap,' too. "It makes me laugh," she said. "Some people think Japanese people always go like this," she added, and steepled her hands. "Not true!"
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