?#1: My hometown has a sister city in Japan so for years I was in that organization and did a homestay yrs ago, then upon graduating Univ. I just decided to try living in another country so took a shot.
?#2: nihongo ga dekimasu!日本語ができるぜ!(set your browser to view Jpn to see that, which translate means "you bet your ass I speak Jpn")living there and being the only foreigner in my work place improved my level REAL quick.
By the way, if I posted a pic of me next to my siblings I'd look tiny. 3 older brothers all 6'4" (I'm 6'1), so you know who got his ass kicked in backyard tackle football everyday, and why I learned to fight

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all about adapting to the environment.