Status, dreams, and a bit of Japanese

I've received some kind comments and emails from readers and fellow bloggers, as well as friends (in some cases those categories overlap) and wanted to just say thanks. I'm still having some trouble dealing with my split-up with Yoshie, but the support helps. There are up days and down days, and I think about what might have been had I made different decisions, but I have to think things worked out for the best. It can be pretty painful to suddenly lose the ability to talk to someone you love, even when it's self-imposed. Just have to move on and do your best...

Been having some strange dreams the past two or three weeks. Last night I dreamed that I met up with my first girlfriend, Ai. In the dream we were meeting over dinner. Not exactly sure why; to catch up, I guess? She was married, and I wasn't bothered by that. She was asking me what I had been doing with my life, and in the dream she sounded a little critical, though she wasn't ever like that in real life. She seemed to be implying that I hadn't really accomplished much since we had last met, and I was trying to defend myself. My mind fighting itself there, I suppose. Anyway, I woke up and wondered about how she is doing. Wherever she is, hope she is healthy and happy. And I hope the same for Yoshie. As sad as it is, I hope I can get over Yoshie a lot quicker than I got over Ai.

Part of the key is probably getting involved and keeping busy. I'm making an effort to participate more with the JET DC alumni group and the Japan America Society of Washington DC. It can be hard to stay connected to Japan when you no longer have someone close to you who really connects you to the culture, but those organizations are a good start.

Anyway, more upbeat (or neutral, anyway) posts coming soon. And if you have any thoughts on the sidebar below, let me know! Think they may be nice little additions to posts that may otherwise be a little lacking in Japanese-y substance.

Japanese Sidebar: Dreams

I remember that one mistake I made some time ago when talking in Japanese about dreams was saying 「夢あった」, because in English we say "I had a dream." In Japanese, however, we literally say "I saw a dream." This works for both dreams while asleep and dreams in the sense of goals or ideals. So in Japanese you would say 「夢見た」. Some of my students likewise used to make the mistake of saying "I see a dream" when trying to express this in English.