Japanese exams passed: vacation!

This week we had our final Japanese exams for this trimester. After a weekend of waking up early and studying all day until evening, we had to prove our Japanese skills at our exams.

Final exams at Yoshida Language School consists of two days of exams. On the first day you get three (!) tests: grammar, listening and reading. The second day is reserved for conversation tests, where everyone gets an individual interview with a teacher in order to test speaking skills.

All our hard studying paid off, we both passed all our tests with great results!! So, that means we get to advance to the next level and learn more difficult Japanese. Laurens is very excited to have finished the beginner-levels, and now advances to intermediate classes; and Daphne is excited (or worried) to start studying in a book without furigana (= basically, the translation/pronunciation of Kanji)

Now that the exams are over we have a little vacation. And actually, we are already packed and ready to go in a couple of hours! This vacation we are spending one week in Kyoto (^.^)!! In Kyoto we will meet Daphne's parents and grandparents, to which we are much looking forward to after not seeing them for almost half a year.
We hope we will have a great holiday in Kyoto, which beautiful things to see, delicious things to eat, and hopefully not so much rain from the rain-season.

Daphne's Aikido exam 3rd Kyu

On Sunday June 3 we headed to the dojo for my 3rd Kyu Aikido exam. After lots of training and practising, (and waking up early to train before school) I learned many new techniques and was able to improve after my 4th kyu exam. So I decided to take my 3rd Kyu examination. 

At the time of the examination I was of course very nervous, but fortunately everything went well. And when the lists of people who past the examination was put on the notice board at the dojo on Tuesday, my name was on there as well: I passed my 3rd Kyu examination! I was very happy to receive my new diploma.

List of people who passed their examination

My 3rd Kyu Aikido diploma

After passing the 3rd Kyu exam, it is customary in the hombu dojo that women start wearing a hakama during training. So, I also ordered my own hakama, and was very excited when it arrived in the mail this weekend! On it, there is my name in Japanese embroidered (in pink (^-^) !)

This weekend I have practised putting it on (which is actually difficult, and takes quite some time! I think I will have to wake up even earlier to make it on time to the training now), and tomorrow will be my first time training in it. I'm very much looking forward to it, although I'm also a little anxious that it will be quite difficult to train with a hakama. I hope I will not be clumsy and don't stumble in it..
I will now also start taking lessons at the 3rd floor of the dojo, where the regular classes are held, so I hope I will be able to improve a lot and learn many new techniques.
 

My folded hakama

My folded hakama with my name