"Do I have a nosebleed?"

That was the first thing I mistakenly asked in Japanese when my friend's younger brother was trying to teach me to ask for the time.

Since then, I’ve been interested in the rhythm of the language. Then, my friend—not his younger brother who laughed when I asked that ridiculous question—recommended I check out the band Pizzicato Five (or p5) because he thought I’d like them. 

He was right. 

I listened to whatever I could get my hands on of theirs, which was sometimes tricky. Made in USA was an album from '94 that I got in '97 and still listen to today. They were the most prominent Shibuya-kei band at its height in the mid- to late-90's. I also started listening to other Japanese pop music, but not as much as P5... 

In any case, I became even more interested in the rhythm of the words, but also what the words and phases meant. I couldn’t wrap my brain around the sentence structure for the longest time—it was fascinating. It’s also something I’m still working on in this first semester of the course. 

One fear I have is that this course is gonna steamroll over me. 

One comfort I have is that there’s a bed waiting for me in きょうと。