Japanese Revisited

My latest hobby is learning Japanese with computer aided software. When I decided to study a new foreign language, my first inclination was to take up Chinese. After reading day after day of stories of defective goods coming in from China and elsewhere abroad in early 2007, I thought that it would be a pursuit for pleasure and professional interest. Unfortunately, I missed the registration date for the local community Chinese class. Instead, I took up a Japanese culture introduction class once a week for about five weeks. I think I missed the point of grasping the language after leaving the class because all I could think about was Hello Kitty, Samantha Thavasa bags, and sushi experimentation. I picked up software recently hoping to actually gain some transferable skills. I actually enjoy doing the language conversation drills because the program records your voice and critiques your pronunciation. The scenarios and the phraseology is pretty interesting as well. Here is a sample:

Dewa
at, in, then

Nihon dewa chippu o haraimassen.
We don't tip in Japan.

Nihon dewa ie no naka de kutsu o nugimasu.
In Japan you take off your shoes when you are in the house.

Afurika dewa soto demo kutsu o hakimasen.
In Africa people don't wear shoes even when they are outside.