Scales and Tales

I started Duolingo!

It seemed like a good way to practise both the languages I know a bit of, and then in a wild fit of optimism I started on Russian as well.

(It's a running joke of mine that I ought to learn Russian because it becomes relevant to my life about every third fandom. Yuri on Ice, CA:TWS, Eroica Yori Ai o Komete...)

In the languages I'm not starting from scratch on, I'm cruising right along!

My main complaint is that between Russian and Japanese I feel like there could be a much better balance with introductions. The Hiragana lessons are dragging on e n d l e s s l y (I already know this! Why didn't the placement test ask this, so I could skip it?!) but Russian so far hasn't shown me how to pronounce or write a single letter. The "Alphabet" section launched straight into Дима, это Тим without bothering to so much as list the alphabet! What is this nonsense.

There needs to be some kind of swap system so I can trade some of these neverending hiragana lessons for a Russian alphabet overview. :D