Hi everyone,

I had such a rewarding experience today! I was out and about, and I saw a tourist who looked quite lost and was trying to ask for directions in English, but the person they approached didn’t seem to understand.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to try and help using my Japanese. I asked 「どうしましたか。」(Dou shimashita ka - What’s wrong?) and then managed to understand where they wanted to go. I gave them simple directions – lots of hand gestures involved, of course – using the grammar and vocabulary I’ve been drilling with Sae. And they understood me! They smiled, thanked me, and headed off in the right direction.

It was such a fantastic feeling to use my Japanese in a genuinely helpful, spontaneous real-world situation. This is exactly why I started learning! All those hours of study paid off in that one small interaction.

Feeling chuffed,

Oliver

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