I recently discovered the joys of IMing in Japanese. Here is an excerpt of a conversation with my cousin, as I desperately attempt to employ phrases I remember from class...

me:しゅまつなにをしましたか
shinya:しゅうまつですか
me:はい, しゅうまつ
shinya: きのうは、学校に行き、そのあと友達と飲みました。
今日は、学校に行き、そのあと先生の家でＰｏｔｌｕｃｋのパーティにさんかしました
me: さんか？
shinya: 参加＝さんか＝join, participate
me: oh i see!
shinya: 参加する　が verb です
参加　は noun
me: yes, in chinese it is "tsan jia"
sounds similar
shinya: you know what our pronounciation was coming from china basically

me: 先生の家はどこですか
shinya: 先生の家は、シカゴ市内です
ぼくの家から電車とバスで40分くらいです
me: so it takes 40 minutes to get there by train and bus
right
shinya: くらい＝about
me: so potluck はどうでしたか
たのしい？
shinya:えーと、私はカレースパゲティを作って持って行きました
ええ、とても楽しかったですよ
me: hahaha いいですね
shinya: you know, hahaha is absolutely same as japanese
ははは　showes laughing too
me: haha thats great
はははは
ハハハハ
in chinese its 哈哈
shinya: カタカナ is also nice!
oh, haha
wow, hahaha is world wide!

こんいちわ。ピタです。よろしくおねがいします。昨日日本に来ました。日本が好きです！アメリカ人です。Columbia 大学の大学せです。私はCleveland, Ohio からにきました。私は妹と弟あります。私は今 New York City　にすんでいます。ピアノやViolin　をします。おんがくききますがすきです。日本の料理がすきです。

Japanese, finally!

I've wanted to take Japanese for a long time. When my dad was just a toddler, his family lived in Japan. But my grandparents separated, and so my grandmother took my dad back to Taiwan, while my aunt and uncle stayed in Japan, and have been there ever since. They eventually became Japanese citizens, married Japanese people, and took up prominent positions within Japanese society. I knew little about them growing up, but after thirty-eight years of separation, my father finally reunited with his brother and sister. Since then, I have traveled to Japan to visit my relatives in Yokohama and Osaka. My uncle, as the Japanese ambassador to Sweden, can speak english amazingly well. Aside from him however, communication with my other relatives have been quite difficult. I can hardly speak to my cousins, let alone my aunts. Ever since my visit to Japan, i have been determined to learn the language in order to speak to my relatives. Coming to college, I was unfortunately restrained by the monstrosity that is biochemistry, and of course, an obligation to take Chinese. But now with most of my requirements out of the way, I am excited to learn this challenging, but amazing language..