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0:40-1:26

I should write something before I forget. I passed the exam. It was an effort continuing for three years, so now I rather bewildered what should I do hereafter. Maybe I should start learning Chinese from now on. Anyway, now I'm free from those curse-like restriction, to avoid to consume anything Japanese contents, including subtitles on Hollywood movies, thus movies themselves. I think that level of constraint actually looked absurd, but anyway, now it was dissolved.

First thing I wanted to do after passing the test was to through away all text books for English study guide. But this weekend I didn't have much time to do that, so they are still occupying considerable spaces in my bookshelf. Besides, learning English will still be continued since I have to renew my TOEIC score in January next year, however, this time I have only listening and reading test, so now I can stop writing practice already, this entry will be the last I ever post using English.

After all, even you passed the Eiken 1st grade exam, your English proficiency is about the same level of native English speaker's middle schooler's. You certainly can't understand all what they say in CNN Student News, news program for middle and high schooler, you can't understand all translated Japanese anime, and you can't understand almost all of lines on English movies, when actors say more than three sentences consecutively for explaining things. This is really a limit for me, unless I abandoned to live in Japan, move to some English speaking countries.

But, I do hope one day, if I want to remember how I feel right after pass the exam, this entry can help to regain memories.

The words are almost 300 already. This is the last entry for my English writing practice.

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2:21-2:54

I've just noticed that I've already been writing this blog for more than 10 years. And, apparently, I was just married when I started this blog, preparing our marriage ceremony. Hmm...A decade is surely a long time. It seems Hatena isn't well convenient to go back to old articles, so I place a link to the earliest article of this blog.

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/s0u/20060508/1147280995

My longest vacation of this year was over, so I was looking back for the week today. The biggest fruit I got was I finally acquired the place for my voice/speech training. Today was a fifth day and now I even have a trouble of my sour throat. The lesson was I shouldn't practice voice training for more than two hours straight. But, the real challenge will be the next/this week. If I can continue this practice while I have ordinary working day, then I can call this activity is my new routine. The next Eiken interview exam is on November 6, so I hope I can continue this practice until then (Even if I stop updating this diary to spare that time).

However, instead I secured the place and time I can speak, I feel my reading time reduced, and my reading ability already start reducing (Now, I can't read newspapers so smoothly compare to I a month ago). I also need to cultivate my knowledge that good enough to improvise two minute speech for almost every topic. I hope I can use my commuting time for reading some books from this week.

The time was already over. The word count was 266. Not bad.

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3:13-3:56

Today's a day 3 of my speech practice. I'm still undecided which is the best material I should use. One is 三修社's 「英語で話す力。」And the other is James M. Vardaman's 「毎日の英文法」. The former one looks more suitable for to prepare Eiken's interview test, but the problem is it's each text is too long so it's difficult to use if I want to reform my pronunciation. The later one's sentences are short, so I can more easily compare between my voice and the speaker's. And I thought mere pronunciation training is too tedious to me, so I mix some recitation of the literature in my training menu. The current one is First one minute of Ryunosuke Akutagawa's "Lorry." If I do all each practice, the necessary time is around one and a half hours. I think that is not viable when I start regular job next week, so I decide at least one of them should be omitted or put off later. The interview test of the Eiken 2nd term is on November 6, so I only have twelve weeks remain...

I went to Shinjuku to drop in Kinokuniya bookstore. For my surprise, the store except 6F's foreign book floor closed. Actually, there is no damage on me unless 6th floor closed, but the change is more than a little shock to me. I wish 6th floor will last long from bottom of my heart. I sometimes order books on Amazon, but in speaking of the quality of the book, Amazon often send the book which is no good condition such like the paper is over oxidized, or some of the pages or even its cover are bent, so I usually hesitate ordering books on Amazon.

Umm...seems my time's up. The word count is 313. I wanted to write I found translated version of Masamune Shirow's "Orion," but I'll keep it until next time.

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3:17-3:54

I measured my reading speed for English text. With several method, they always indicate my reading speed is around 170-180 wpm. So...they say it is almost equivalent to 4th grade students. And, considering to the average of native English speaker's speed is 300, and if I want to compete those American high school kids, I have to speed up my reading speed as double compared to the current speed.

It's impossible...I shouldn't have tried such measuring. They say the key to speed up reading is not translate words into sound, yeah, actually I do it when I'm reading Japanese text, but without sound, I fear that degrades my ability to listen or speak English. Umm...the way to the day I can feel I master the English is actually farther than I thought.

I 'm keeping my speech training so far. Since, my current speaking speed is poor enough being unable to speak to catch 180 wpm narration, so it is expectable that my physical ability to speak English will easily get more fast and accurate for next several weeks. Then maybe it's better if I'd shift of the weight of my training time to speeding up reading time.

And, my writing speed has already began slowing down...I feel absolute ceiling of my capacity on learning foreign languages.

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1:11-1:56

Gyaah! I'm dying to see Kingsgraive! I can't wait till the movie released on the internet on August 30, but I can't afford to go to U.S. on 19! Because I live in Japan!

Anyway, speaking of English translated Japanese anime or movie, Japanese people really discriminated to get to access those contents...Crunchyrole doesn't broadcast their English dubbed contents, Anipex doesn't allow their English dubbed blu-ray export to Japan. I think there're certain amount of needs surely sleep in Japan but I don't know why they prohibit circulate them...Because they are too good so they might deter Japanese young people's affectionate to Japanese language? Yeah it is likely...

I bought new wristwatch at Yodobashi Camera in Shinjuku. The new watch was made in Swiss, yay! Not too much expensive, around \16,000-. I didn't know this "SWISS MILITARY HANOWA" was a brand name or company's. According to Wikipedia, it seems Hanowa is the company's name. I don't know how to read "Hanowa Aktiengesellschaft (AG)/Ltd." The last watch I lost recently was used for around 15 years, so I hope this watch will last longer.

Umm...Today, I could only 216 words for using more than 40 minutes. Seems writing things consecutive two days is too much to me?

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1:03-1:32

I haven't loafed to write diary this two weeks, really. I wrote it on my notebooks, and I didn't have time to copy them on here.

The best thing when I wrote diary on the notebook is it doesn't restrain what I write about in my life. After all, if I write something on the internet, I have to avoid to write anything which relate to my real life. That accumulates stress I continue to write. It is good that if I writing things using my PC, then Word automatically count words. And it has spellchecker. But the problem is I don't sit in the front of PC always, and with using PC, there is no joy of sensation to scribble letters with my fountain pen.

I finally found the place where I can practice for my speech training. It was my apartment's rooftop. However, there's no light, so I may be better to bring some portable light to read texts. I thought I needed to buy some voice recorders, but I'd noticed that I could use my smartphone to record my voice, so I could evade some extra cost. For my speech training, I began trying to imitate Yuuki Konno's recital of "Lorry," from SAO II. If I can master it, then I'll need to find other materials for speech practice.

Besides, I am now having a long summer vacation, a week long holiday. So I should fully exploit this occasion to improve my speaking ability, to prepare for coming next Eiken exam. Oh, I just noticed that the registration of 2nd term of this year's exam is already began! I'm lucky I thought about to write exam today...

The word count was already 285. My writing ability is improving...

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1:45-1:59

I should write some today. But, since I need to wake up early tomorrow, I write 15 minute today.

I went to my parents' house this week end with my family. And we celebrate my daughter and her cousin's birthday. The problem is that I had overate this weekend too. I checked my weight the other day, it was over 70kg. I've got over 20kg from I stated the job, around 15 years, so I should quite have some weight control these days...Since both my parents have their diabetes, I definitely am prone to it.

Well, it's already 1:59. Only 100 words I can write today.