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My japanese name is 猿渡 Saruwatari (monkey on a crossing bridge) 歩 Ayumi (walk, deeper meaning: walk your own way).
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It reminds me of a nickname(?) in Aymara given me by a Bolivian Quaker--something like "Sarawami."

I love the sound (and sense) of Ayumi especially.

Recently I bought _Mangajin's Basic Japanese Through Comics_ (New York/Tokyo: Weatherhill, 1998)--it has interesting insights into language and language-learning. And who can resist a chapter title like "Baka, the basic insult"?

I am a bit daunted by its warning, though: "The danger in 'picking up' Japanese is that even though most Japanese people appreciate the fact that you are interested in learning their language and will give you 'slack' as a beginner, misused politeness levels can be pretty grating on the Japanese ear, even if they do not reach the point of being truly offensive" (p.13). Eep! But I think I'll struggle forward.

I've only heard of one of the manga series excerpted in the book--intriguing to see the much wider variety of styles that exist, and the "old-fashionedness" of some of them.