TG, Tokyo, Japan
I’m an American living in Tokyo & really struggling with the language even after many (almost 25!) years of study. I’ve achieved a relatively decent level of conversational & reading ability but still struggle with both. It’s most frustrating when people around me try to be helpful & say how “fluent” I am. Noone really knows but me how frustrating/scary/embarrassing it is to be in the many social/work situations that I find myself in when I’m struggling to understand/be understood.
TG
BK:
Dear TG,
Can you consider living somewhere else? Perhaps your life is entangled there, and this is not possible. I understand. That is not my business, actually. It’s not my place to offer you advice of any kind. Nevertheless, could a first step be to find a supportive presence, someone who is there for you in the midst of an on-going experience of life that, in your way of describing it, is a separateness that’s convened each time you speak? What is fluency? Is fluency always a portal to belonging? I wish I was there and we could have a cup of tea. Then, I could learn more about your life in Tokyo.
