Because my parents were both raised in China, they wanted me to pursue Chinese as a second language when I came to Princeton.  Initially, I was okay with the idea.  Why not study a language that surrounds my life culturally and socially?  Hey, maybe I could finally communicate with my relatives at a stronger level.  However, while looking at the course registrar and doing some introspection, I realized it's important to choose that classes that genuinely interest me and not just my parents or anyone else.  I had no real personal interest to study Chinese, and I was only thinking about taking it solely because my parents had subtly pressed the idea into me.  On the other hand, Japan's culture has always fascinated me and, to be honest, I really want to watch anime without subtitles.  So much contextual meaning is lost during translations of language!  And you can't forget about Japan's food, technology, and strong presence in international business!  After playing with the idea of taking Japanese, I knew I had to take it.  It was a language that I would have fun learning and motivation to pursue further.  I'm so excited about learning how to speak, listen, read, and write at a competent level.  Over just these past 3 days, JPN 101 has already become my favorite class and I can't wait to see how much I'll learn this next semester.  That's it for now!  Jaa mata!