Japanese lessons are moving along, finally!!! The first test I passed last year required that I memorize 100 phrases in Japanese and be able to repeat them perfectly in 15 minutes or less.  Okay, so I did that and then passed smaller tests titled, Shopping Phrases, Taxi Phrases, and Restaurant Phrases.  During this time I was also progressing through the lessons in the text.  However, when I got to lesson 7 my teachers told me that I could not go any further in the lessons until I passed the adjective 95 test.  The test looks exactly like the Beginner’s 100 and so I thought that it was to be memorized word for word and I had to pass it in 11 minutes or less.  It seemed incredibly hard and I lost my enthusiasm.  I saw it as an obstacle in my progression since I could no longer move through the lessons.  Then last week I discovered that I did not have to memorize it word for word.  All I was required to do was to read the sentences and fill in the blanks with the proper adjectives where they were missing.  Why didn’t they tell me this before!!!!!  I could have done this months ago.  I am glad that I stopped the lessons for 3 months from May-mid August or I would have been really upset.  Hooray!  I can finally move on and now I plan to pass the Nifty Phrases test next week and I get to work on Lesson 8.  The only problem is that Shell will only pay for 12 more lessons. 

Yesterday, I went back to the Japanese Calligraphy class.  Now, I have my own equipment so I can practice at home.  I did better yesterday, but it will take awhile to get used to my new brush and master the strokes.  There is a Japanese woman in my class and she speaks only a little English so it will be a good way to practice my Japanese.  Michelle comes with me and works on Sumie (sue- me- a  Long- a)  It is very beautiful Japanese painting.  She is very good.

Seminary started on Monday and my class is very smart and very good.  We have finally worked out all the glitches with the building and next week will go more smoothly.  I even found a very high cupboard that no one is using that I can keep my stuff in.  Now if we can all just stay awake!