This is a terrific piece! Thanks for writing this. I know that one thing I would never be able to understand is katakana. So you have up there pe ru so na no n gu raa ta.

The thing I never understand in katakana is what must have a specific name but I call it "the elongation line" - the one you have there between ラ and タ. To me, it means that you would not say persona non grata, but persona non graaaaaaaaaaata. And that's not how we say it. Why is that added when it does not reflect the way the word is really pronounced?

It's like the way apartment is written apaaaaaaaaaato and department store is written depaaaaaaaaaato. Doesn't make sense to me, but maybe you have somehow learned the rule for writing it and pronouncing it.