Japanese: Progress!!

I realized recently that I am no longer starting out my conversations with Japanese people with, “Sorry, I’m a foreigner, so I don’t understand what you’re saying…”
Instead, I have been simply uttering whatever I can in very broken Japanese and wrong vocabulary. More and more, I am understanding the conversations that are going on around me. Although I still cannot carry a conversation to save my life, I feel that by understanding the gist of what’s going on, something has changed.
This past weekend, I took part in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). But because I filled out an entire section incorrectly and not knowing the answers to many problems, I know that my chances of passing are on the slim side.
Aside from losing face (which is essential in this country) factor, I was really glad that I took part in the grueling 4 hour exam. It sorta reminded me of taking the SATs again.
This test and its results serve no purpose for me. While many international students take it to qualify for Japanese universities or jobs, most of the JETs take it to get a gauge of where they are in their Japanese language progress.
Anyway, I guess my point is to say that it helps me feel like I had accomplished a goal during my stay in Japan.
But maybe the test is not the only indication of it.
Before I left work today, I realized that I understood what was going on between the teachers in the staffroom.
3rd grade science teacher: Mr. Tsuda, you look really cool in one of the pictures for the yearbook!
Mr. Tsuda: Really? Which one? Which one?
3rd grade Japanese teacher: Really? You’re lying!
3rd grade science teacher: Here, this one!
3rd grade Japanese teacher: Oh, right, it’s true.
3rd grade math teacher: Where, where? I want to see. [Before he sees the picture] It must be the one where Mr. Tsuda is wearing sunglasses and a cap. It’s what you can’t see that’s cool.
It’s a normal silly conversation that goes on in the staffroom filled with lame jokes, but understanding most of it made me feel giddy inside.