Learning Japanese has taught me a lot about the whole concept of language and how it is used to communicate. Keep in mind that Japanese, just like English, is a living language. It is constantly evolving. Which kinda means that you can study all day every day, and you still won’t know everything. While you are busy studying old Japanese grammar points to death, new, better, faster streamlined speech patterns are forming everyday. Just like English!
The deeper you get into learning Japanese, you begin to realize that it is perfectly fine to be lazy and leave out particles, leave out certain syllables, smash two syllables together, etc. Of course, you should still devote a bit of effort to learn formal Japanese, but in my particular case, the only time I will ever really need to use formal Japanese is if I ever find a Japanese girlfriend and I have to meet her parents. I probably won’t ever work for a Japanese company or have to be super formal being a foreigner, so I spend most my time speaking casually.
My point is — make Japanese your own. Don’t be afraid to spell or say things weird on purpose. You probably butcher the English language everyday without even knowing it. You could possibly be the most redneck, funky-sounding English speaker alive, but yet the people you talk to understand your English just fine. See what I’m getting at? Don’t be afraid to speak or write or type weird ass Japanese. As long as you’re understood, nobody will bat an eye. In fact, your Japanese may even sound more native the more you “play” with it. Have fun with it. Make it your own. Be a Japanese “redneck”! YEEHAW!