Sweat, Study, Sweat, Repeat

It's first trimester test week here at my small school. The first three periods of each day for the next three days are reserved for student test taking. The afternoon classes are still in session, but will primarily focus on study for the next day's tests.

This means I have a lot of time free for the next couple mornings. I've been using that time to review for my upcoming kanji test on July 11. The test will cover 420 of the basic (1,945) kanji that all students study (up through 3rd grade elementary). While knowing more kanji is nice (note: I did the Heisig method and can recall all 1,945 writings from a keyword, but can't read them all), it's the increased vocabulary (and increasingly difficult grammar) that is paying off. I can now listen to a number of sources and pick out a lot more words that I couldn't before. I think it's a lot like buying a new car. You don't notice how many there are on the road until you're driving one. So, while the words have been floating around Okinawa through various utterances and broadcasts (放送 housou), now that they're floating around in my head, it's starting to make sense.

On the other hand, it's hot. Maybe not so much hot, because Arizona is hotter for sure, but humid. The two minutes prior to typing this were what gave me the idea for the title. I felt a drop of sweat running down my chest, so I pressed my shirt against it only to have the purple turn dark purple, wet. Only one of the schools in Higashi has a/c in the teacher's room - this is not one of them. And I have to say, I don't regret giving up on the "let's see how long I can last without using the a/c while I'm sleeping or at home."

And in very other news, I passed my 進級試験 (shinkyuu shiken) karate test last Saturday. Photos and stuff to come in another post.