Peace be with you all

[Bluedragon]

I live just outside Birmingham, AL. My GrandFather coached football with Shug Jordan at Auburn University. All three brothers went to Auburn.

We were an Air Force family. My Mom and Dad born and raised in Birmingham. as I am the oldest, we pick up the riff raff along the way. Born in Laredo, Texas. moved to Tokyo for a year, then to Hawaii. My brother Trez was born in Honolulu, we then moved to Clovis, NM where the family was completed. Scott finished out the pack. We then moved to CIA Headquarters at Langley, VA. Dad went to Viet Nam, then we moved to Edwards, AFB where he was invovled with the U2 and SR-71 spy planes. We then moved to Tokyo, where I graduated from High School. Our mascot was Blue Dragon, hence my nick name. I went to Auburn. Then lived in Syracuse, Cheyenne and finally Tampa Bay for 35 years. Eventually I moved back to Birmingham ....

 

[Fred]

Welcome aboard.

How is your fluency in Japanese?

 

[Carbon]

I live just outside Birmingham, AL. My GrandFather coached football with Shug Jordan at Auburn University. All three brothers went to Auburn.

We were an Air Force family. My Mom and Dad born and raised in Birmingham. as I am the oldest, we pick up the riff raff along the way. Born in Laredo, Texas. moved to Tokyo for a year, then to Hawaii. My brother Trez was born in Honolulu, we then moved to Clovis, NM where the family was completed. Scott finished out the pack. We then moved to CIA Headquarters at Langley, VA. Dad went to Viet Nam, then we moved to Edwards, AFB where he was invovled with the U2 and SR-71 spy planes. We then moved to Tokyo, where I graduated from High School. Our mascot was Blue Dragon, hence my nick name. I went to Auburn. Then lived in Syracuse, Cheyenne and finally Tampa Bay for 35 years. Eventually I moved back to Birmingham ....

Welcome to the forum

 

[Deleted member 6]

Welcome aboard, Bro!!

 

[Bluedragon]

When I left in 1972…Fluent. I learned on the trains. Kids tried their English on us and we tried our Japanese on them. I went to Disney World once and passed a group of Japanese trying figure out how to get to Country Bear Jamboree, stoped and gave them directions in Japanese. They all wanted to know where I learned.

Quiz me today, I can pick some words out OK. Not enough to get a date at the Ginza.

 

[Fred]

When I left in 1972…Fluent. I learned on the trains. Kids tried their English on us and we tried our Japanese on them. I went to Disney World once and passed a group of Japanese trying figure out how to get to Country Bear Jamboree, stoped and gave them directions in Japanese. They all wanted to know where I learned.

Quiz me today, I can pick some words out OK. Not enough to get a date at the Ginza.

That's great.

 

[Sereni-tea]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Bluedragon]

That's great.

Remember the movie Mr. Baseball with Tom Sellack? Every moment was like living off base in Japan. I could understand every word in Japanese at the time the movie was released. Today? Good Luck .....I had a Manufacturer's Representative who was a Marine Corp Officer that lived in Okinawa. He would quiz me as we were heading to the next sales appointment. Occansionally I'd get bored and take off on an answer to his quiz ....Then explain what I had just said .....He said "Man, you knew a lot more than I ever did and I thought I did well." Mine came from the trains, our maid and from playing Japanese Baseball ...

 

[Fred]

He said "Man, you knew a lot more than I ever did and I thought I did well." Mine came from the trains, our maid and from playing Japanese Baseball ...

The best way to learn is far more often out in the 'real world' than in the classroom.

 

[Bluedragon]

The best way to learn is far more often out in the 'real world' than in the classroom.

I agree. My youngest brother learned from watching Japanese commercials on TV. Then went to the maid and tried what he learned. She would correct him and teach him to pronunciate properly. I've had several friends that learned English that way. Watch TV and mimic what they heard ..