progress

::: gauging one's progress in language learning is not easy...but today, i realized in a concrete way that i'm making some progress...

...situation: i'm waiting in line at the post office...i notice the woman in front of me trying to express her request in english...the postal worker does not understand...i look away, avoiding any bit of eye contact...like an inexperienced swimmer at a pool's edge unwilling to jump, i bite my lip...then the office manager comes...surely they'll communicate, i say to self...nope...now three people -- the woman and two postal workers -- are trying to communicate to each other to no avail...

...i'm down for being a good samaritan...but not when i have to use japanese!

...yet i couldn't help but jump in the pool, so to speak...instead of drowning (and taking the woman down with me), to my surprise, the right words (okay, eight of 'em to be exact) came out of my mouth!...i helped dissolve the impasse...the woman first looked at me with thankful relief...then, if i was reading her facial expressions right, she looked at me like "why did you wait so long to jump in???"....

...progress is good :::