2011 after 2010

Today is the last day of the year 2010. I am now in my wife’s parents’ home located at the south of Wakayama. Although this location is regarded as a warm place, there is a snow storm outside the windows of this house.

2010 was a good year for me. I got married with my wife last December, so this December was the first anniversary of my marriage. Prior to the marriage, I expected a lot. My wife is good at art and calligraphy. On the other hand, my handwriting and artistic sense were poor. Thus, I imaged and wished that I would gain a good sense of it after I got married with her. However, the reality was different. She remains a good artist, but my handwriting has never improved. Being with her is not enough for improving my artistic sense.

The same can be said of her. She is not good at English. On the other hand, I like to use English even in my daily life. At the beginning phase of our marriage, I sometimes expressed my feelings in English while speaking with her. However, I had to explain the meaning of the English phrases in Japanese; otherwise she could not understand me. Day by day, our conversations were limited to ones based on the Japanese language.

I will spend the year 2011 with my wife. I have learnt the reality of my married life from the one year experience. In 2011, I will have less expectations for my married life than in 2010. This makes me feel comfortable.