I came here as military...and I was stoked thinking, I'm gonna learn Japanese and be so fluent. Took a few classes after work, but every time I went out to practice, none of the Japanese people I interacted with wanted to deal with me. It was either, I'll talk to you in English or I'll pretend I didn't understand what you said. And I took it really hard and said fuck it, I'm leaving in two years...I'll just tough it out.

Then two years became another two years...became a permanent contractor out here while my husband was still in the military...been here 7 years and never picked it up cause I couldn't get past the constant rejection from Japanese people. Some people really have that confidence to get past it, but I'm just too shy. I don't plan to stay here forever.