Trying Something New

So, I have taken it upon myself to get off my ass (so to speak) and learn Japanese.  I'm currently going through hiragana.  Observations:

1. The characters I was warned would be difficult to draw (o, so, tsi, and na) are, thus far, extremely easy to draw.
2. So looks like the junction between the neck and shoulder of a western dragon, including the last two spines.
3. Tsi looks like 5.
4. Ni looks like a tree... next to a shrubbery.