333rd Reflection💬

“Is today’s setback a result of the withdrawal of the Lord’s support❓”

It may also be a reasonable consequence of my continuous lack of efforts.”
……

26/02/2024 (Mon) 1200 The Japan Society of Hong Kong

Teacher said, “じゃ、ここまでです。何か質問がありますか。”
 

I packed my belongings.

Teacher said, “ヨウさん。” (Yip)

I said, “はい、先生。” (Yes, teacher.)

Teacher said, “今出る？” (Are you leaving now?)

I said, “はい､１時に音楽理論課があるから､ちょっと失礼します。” (Yes, I’ve got a music theory class on Monday. Excuse me, I’ve got to leave.)

Teacher said, “わかった。じゃ､また来週ね。” (Understand. See you next week then.”

I said, “はい､また来週。” (OK. See you next week.)
…….

Another me said, “How pitiful.”

I said, “Pitiful for?”

Another me said, “You still have to rush around even at such an age.”

I said, “Nothing pitiful. No one has forced me into doing so. This is my choice. I desire to graduate not only from my composition studies but also from my Japanese studies 4 years later.”

Another me said, “Oh, you’re now getting old. How can you afford such travels? If the Lord had sincerely supported you in your Japanese studies, he should have done do many years ago. You look just pitiful.”

I said, “No, I don’t. The Lord always supports me.”

Another me said, “If the Lord has been supporting you, why is your Japanese still so limited until 2024? You started you learning since 2005. If the Lord had, you might have received a doctorate. So pitiful.”

I said, “No, I am not. The Lord always supports me.”

Another me said, “Mad. Why do you act like a broken radio? You keep repeating that the Lord always supports you. How has the Lord been always supporting uou along your Japanese learning? Show me!”

I said, “In July 2005, mum worked for a fashion wholesale company. When she was receiving a Japanese customer, she learnt that they spoke nearly no other language than Japanese. She then thought that I might work with the Japanese later. The Lord then sent me His encouragement through her.”

Another me said, “So what?”

I said, “So I enrolled into the 05 Autumn Beginner Course of the Japan Society of Hong Kong.”

Another me said, “This could prove that the Lord supported you no more than at the very beginning.”

I said, “Not only that, when I completed it, and General Course 1st Year and 2nd Year and I found that I could read but not speak Japanese, the Lord gave me further support.”

Another me said, “How did He?”

I said, “He offered me half a year of free time and enough school fee to study in Tokyou Japanese.”

Another me said, “That’s all.”

I said, “No, He then offered me another 3 months and school fee and sent me to Kaisai College of Business and Language in Osaka. And I passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N2 there.”

Another me said, “You’ve already been to Osaka. But which level of Japanese are you studying now?”

I said, “N2.”

Another me said, “You’ve passed N2. Why are still studying N2?”

I said, “Frankly, I only got a bare pass. I didn’t really spend much time and effort. I haven’t attained N2 proficiency. I hadn’t got the patience to catch up. I then gave up learning and laid aside Japanese for 13 years.”

Another me said, “13 years, how can you pick it up again?”

I said, “The Lord created the chance. He sent me to HKAPA and made some more free time out of my full-time studies.

Another me said, “I’ve got free time too. This doesn’t mean I will re-take it.”

I said, “The Lord revitalises my pursues for Japanese.”

Another me said, “How?”

I said, “Through music. There are quite a number of good Japanese music. I want to be able to read not only the score, but also the Japanese description about it for a more in-depth studies on it. During the admission interview, He even sent me encouragements through the interviewing teachers.”

Another me said, “Then you enrolled into the course?”

I said, “Before that, the Lord’d arranged a time that works for me.  He managed to find me a gap between my HKAPA study schedule and HKBU teaching schedule and arranged me to resume my Japanese studies in Class A from the 3rd semester of General Japanese (Year 2) in the Japan Society of Hong Kong.”

Another me said, “How long are you studying Japanese this time?”

I said, “At least 4 years: General Japanese Year 3, Postgraduate Course Year 1 & 2, Postgraduate Graduate Course. Then, I’ll take JLPT (N1). I hope I can pass it and graduate from HKAPA altogether.”

Another me said, “Wa, it takes 4 more years for you to travel around. By the time you graduate, you get very old already. You’re just pitiful.”

I said, “Even after as long as 18 years, the Lord still fully supports my continuation of studies on Japanese. I’m grateful for His support, aren’t you?”