Language Learning
I’m not sure if I can speak for everyone, but language learning has been one of the greatest challenges thus far. Through a friend’s recommendation, we decided to check out private language schools. We initially thought it might be too expensive, but decided that having a smaller class size and more flexibility would better suit our needs.
One downside is that classes are expensive. We were able to split up into smaller groups by language level which helped lower the cost, but not by much. Our hope is to build a strong foundation so that we can find cheaper options in the future.
Going back to school has been challenging for me. I love learning, but I don’t necessarily have time to study. Right now we have class Monday – Friday for about 2 hours each day. This isn’t much, but we weren’t able to get morning classes so the timing is a little inconvenient. Alex and I have classes back-to-back, so we usually rely on one of our teammates to watch H in between. I leave class during rush hour, which means packed buses and major traffic. On one occasion, I was so close to the door I thought I might fall out if the doors opened. Dinner prep feels a little rushed when I get home, but hopefully meal planning will help. On a side note, I know this is where Alex would interject and tell me to learn how to ride the scooter, but I still don’t feel comfortable navigating through the streets on anything motorized.
On the upside, it seems like we’re making progress. We attempt to send each other messages using characters and phrases we’ve learned. If the phrases are incorrect, no one has chosen to let us know. It makes such a huge difference to know that we can go out with the ability to explain that we don’t understand and why or to order food and actually get what we wanted! Baby steps.