I am currently learning Japanese. The main reason I took it up was I want to be able to talk to Yuuri's parents. I would really like to get along with her family, especially her father. I think he is a very protective person who vets boyfriends very carefully. I have the very best intentions for Yuuri and I hope he will see this.
Yuuri and I are getting along really well. I have given her a copy of my key and she uses my apartment from time to time. She has finished her course at Aeon but she is still working towards her TOEIC. If she does well she can reach her goal of becoming a flight attendant.
Sometimes the cultural aspects of Japan make our relationship difficult. She has a curfew and although she is older than me she still lives with her parents. This is typical of Japan and I respect that. I think there is also a distinct gender hierarchy. She seems very driven to looking after me, which is lovely but I don't want to take her for granted and I want to look after her too. Sometimes it is difficult to find her perspective on things and I her opinion seems to revolve round mine. I know she is very smart and I want her to be able to express herself fully without my permission. Her English is brilliant and she gets noticeably better each day.
I assume my cultural differences affect her in the same way. Compared to Japanese I must seem very open and direct. I hope I'm not seen as rude but my values as to what are and are not acceptable probably make her feel uneasy. My world is so different to the one I'm in now, I worry Yuuri wont like it.
