Taking Action

I've began taking time to brush up on my Japanese and started doing a workout routine(let's hope it stays a routine). I've been practicing my Hiragana lately, and from what I've read I'm really trying to get away from reading romaji. Romaji basically shows the English pronunciation of Japanese characters - which is basically been how I've been learning.

I'd say I'm progressing fairly well, I bought a small dry erase board to help me actually write the Hiragana over and over again. I found a few nice Web sites too, that way I can listen to the pronunciations and how to write the characters. If anyone is interested in where I went:

KanjiStep.com - I used this for pronunciation - it also shows you how to write the characters.

Yosida.com - This site gives some more insight into Hiragana and Katakana. It shows how to write characters as well. (Wish I could go there and study)

RealKana.com - This site is almost like flash cards, a nice way to brush up on what I've been studying. You can even select what cards to put in. That way you aren't being asked stuff you haven't studied.

Let me know if any of you have any advice on learning a language. Tomorrow I will try and post what I've been doing as far as a workout. I'd love some feedback on anything you would add to the routine.

Habits

I recently stumbled upon a blog entitled Zen Habits - ways to live your life a little less complicated. Leo, the guy in charge over at Zen, has created a training blog for himself because he's trying to get into better shape. Now this site is not just a list of what he wishes to do as far as a workout schedule, but a dietary schedule as well. Very cool idea, and a good one at that.

Now that the weather has gotten a lot nicer, I do plan on taking a lot more walks. I took a good one with my coworker today and it was great. Let's hope it stays this way...Indiana weather has a way of being pretty crazy. In any case, I'm trying to think of creative ways to work on my kanji and Japanese and also incorporate a sort of work out/diet plan without having to have two blogs - I have a feeling I would post on one and not the other.

I am open to any suggestions on this blog. Let me know if I am putting too much useless info in a post, if I need to be more elaborate, etc. I'm not a pro at blogging or typing out my thoughts and feelings, so I need the criticism.

I'm curious to know what goals you the reader(s) have set. Were you able to achieve your goal? What held you back if you couldn't? Any tips for those of us who want to achieve our goals but haven't?

Now I'm not talking about hitting level 70 in WoW or completing your Star Wars Pez dispenser collection. What is something you really wanted to achieve - but something, yourself, someone held you back. I have a bad habit of getting "bored" and turning a video game on. A lot of it has to do with willpower, and I don't have a ton of it.

My friend John is a great example of someone taking control of their life. He started being more active and has had great success in dropping weight and being healthier all around. Could you stop drinking soda and eating Wendy's? I know some really skinny people who have the worst eating habits. I'm sorry, if you are at your recommended weight and you live on Dr. Pepper and Fritos...you're still unhealthy. Not that I'm one to talk about living healthy...

Welcome to KHOP! Would you like some syrup?

Welcome to Kyle's House of Pancakes. I hosted an actual Web page of random musings back in the 90s when I was in high school, but I never got into blogging. I guess I just didn't feel I had much to say. After reading a blog recently, www.tofugu.com, I decided it was time I tried my hand at it.

What do I plan to accomplish with this blog? Probably the norm...vent and post about things in my life. However, I want to change a few things in my life, and I hope to use this blog as a chronicle on how I go about making these changes. The changes range from eating habits, changing my somewhat sedentary lifestyle, and achieving goals I've set for myself years ago.

I have been taking small strides in changing my diet and becoming more active. Now, I'm not horribly overweight, maybe by about 10-15 pounds. As some of you may know, I used to do karate weekly, but due to my current living arrangements, I'm too far away from my dojo. I've been trying to start my own workout routine (without weights because I haven't got any), and at least stretch to get off my lazy ass.

Like most people, I want to learn and do new things, and like a lot of people, I always put these things off. On my list of things to learn is guitar and Japanese. Those are the two I can at least say I've been trying to do for quite some time. Now the guitar...that may never happen. I can be somewhat tone deaf, and I can only read tabs. Japanese I've been "working on" for a few years. I haven't adhered to a very regular schedule and thus I'm still in the very beginning stages of learning Japanese.

I am very open to suggestions from those of you who take the time to read my blog on what I should try (not seppuku) or post. I'm trying to change my life for the better. Feel free to email me at murasakiblogATgmail DOT com.

I'm just trying to be a better person...my name is Kyle. Unfortunately that last line's not my own...