Most of the Camera Club members are native Japanese speakers, so on my way to the meeting spot, I felt a mix of excitement and anxiety. I wondered, “Will they accept me as a foreigner? And not just that—a Black foreigner? What if I make mistakes speaking Japanese?" I felt similarly hesitant with the ESS club at first. There were times I even stood outside the room, debating whether or not to go in.
Even though I’m usually a confident speaker and feel comfortable with the Japanese language, I still experience moments of self-doubt—especially when speaking in front of native speakers. But my passion for language, and my desire to build real connections with Japanese people, always outweighs my fear. Personally, I refuse to let my fear of making mistakes hold me back. And because of that, I had, at this event, some of the most fun I’ve had since arriving in Japan.
Mostly homework and required readings for class. I’m currently enrolled in eight different Japanese courses!
At the English conversation event, we played a game called エイゴダーケ (Eigo Dake).It’s a Japanese party game where players are challenged to explain a Japanese word written on a card using only English, without using any Japanese. Thus, the game is probably intended for English language learners. However, it's fun for everyone. I've learned some new Japanese words just from playing Eigo Dake.
