レベルアップした！

At the start of 2022, I embarked on a side quest to further my language skills. After half-a-year of weekly classes at night and daily study sessions alongside work, I am extremely glad to share that I have passed the JLPT N2 exam! レベルアップした！

While it seems as though this additional skill of mine doesn't directly relate to the work I do, I have had many chances over the past year to impact the project that I am working on. For example, a piece of text could be translated perfectly - but not localized optimally. Being part of the lead studio producing a project gives me a unique opportunity to provide that extra boost to the content I am most familiar with, even if just a bit.

My interest in the Japanese language arose from the desire to be able to explore the suburban and countryside areas of the east-Asian archipelago, as well as to play the JRPG games that I enjoy (which so often remain in its native language).

Formally studying for the language is another matter, though. There are grammatical rules and characters to memorize, and it becomes very technical very quickly. It's even more challenging to balance the rigor of classes, assignments, and practice sheets with a full-time job — and I'd be lying if I said there weren't weeks where I just did the bare minimum for homework.

I guess it's really passion and interest that drives one to invest the time and grit to hone their skills and push through. Don't give up on the path to greatness, and your ardor will see you through!