The Test.

Well, the good news is it's over.

No more cramming lists of Japanese vocab words and grammar rules into my hurting brain.

Study strategy: Make flashcards of the 100 kanji (complicated characters) I have to know, and write the most difficult vocab words -- of the 800 I need to memorize! -- five times each.

Study fuel: tea, lots of tea. They took good care of me at Samuraihama E.S. on Friday, where I had time to study since two of my six classes were cancelled. They gave me a face mask to wear so I won't get the dreaded influenza (bless them), and poured me cup after cup of different flavors of tea, including one with an aroma so lovely that it made me wonder if that's what heaven smells like. No joke. I'm sure I looked like a big weirdo sniffing my cup for 15 minutes straight, but that's okay.

Aaaanyway, back to the test...

As a reminder to myself, the reason I thought it was a good idea in the first place to take level 4 of the JLPT -- Japanese Language Proficiency Test -- was to be motivated to learn Japanese and to be challenged.

Well, it was most definitely a challenge. I'll say that about it.

The test started at 9:45 a.m. and ended just before 2 p.m. There were three sections: Writing & Vocabulary; Listening; Grammar & Reading. Every single word was written in Japanese, including all of the directions.

As Jarlath said afterwards, "All I needed was another hour...and a Japanese-English dictionary!" Haha.

I really need to work on getting my reading up to speed since I didn't even make it to the last two pages of the reading section. :( Oh well.

This was by far the best part of the day in Morioka (about 2.5 hours away)...

Meeting up with friends and fellow test takers afterwards and eating ice cream at Baskin Robbins!! (or "31" as it's called here).

Good luck to my Franklin friends who are studying for final exams!
I feel your pain.