Hanami and my 1 year anniversary
Cherry blossom viewing (or hanami-which literally means flower viewing) is a very big deal in Japan. These cherry trees only product cherry blossoms once a year and only for about a week. They start blooming from the south of Japan and then spread to the North. Some people travel accross Japan at this time of year along with the blooming of the cherry blossoms, just for the purpose of viewing them. By the way, these trees are the most populous trees in Japan because they are planted every where!!! Also, when I first did this a year ago when I arrived I felt a little deprived after all the blossoms had fallen because I was expecting to get a lot of cherries to eat. BUT, Japanese cherry trees DON'T produce cherries (can you really call them cherry trees then?). Being such a big deal and wanting the true Japanese experience, some friends and I had to go do hanami (I posted pictures below). They had foods like corn dogs and steamed potatoes at the park that we went to to do hanami and those tasted okay. We went at night to a park that has lights hung every where just for the purpose of hanami (it was a little chilly). I think that it was kind of fun. And as always I was able to make a few jokes with my friends while doing it (so that wasn't so bad).
The next picture is taken while I was standing next to my door. Maybe you can get an idea of how popular cherry trees are here. You see them every where. There are white and pink cherry blossoms. The one outside my apartment are white, but the ones at the park (near Tsurumai station) were pink. If I am here next April, of course I will go again (by the way, if you click on the picture you can see it better).
This marks my one year anniversary of when I can to Japan.
As of today I have lived in Japan for one year. I didn't actually arrive in Nagoya until the 5th, but I was at Narita airport on this day, one year ago. I think that my feelings about Japan are rather mixed and have changed a lot since I arrived. My friends easily adjusted to life in Japan (probably because the standard of living is higher in Japan than there own countries I think...but don't hold me to that statement). I myself have actually had some difficulty adjusting to life in Japan and have not completely adjusted yet. Of course, there are some things in Japan that I will never get used to and there are some things here that will never make since to me (and why these things don't change is another thing that will never make since to me). (I believe that, if one wants to learn about themself, they should live in a foreign country for a long time then they will understand a lot more about themself). I think that Japan is a nice place to visit though (especially around this time of year). If my stay were much shorter, I would have enjoyed Japan greatly!!! Since I have been here I have seen many interesting things though (if you have read some articles in my blog you may have herd of them). In fact, the other day I went with a couple of friends to the Outback Steak House. While we were looking for some place to eat (before we decided on the Outback Steak House), we got on an elevator with some people who we believe to be Yakuza. We think they were Yakuza (Japanese Mafia) because we saw that one of them had a gun and they did not look like police officers (and they were going to the fourth floor on a building that did not have a business on the 4th floor...probably a Yakuza office). That was interesting. By the way, if you did not know, unlike Texas where everyone can have a gun, guns are illegal in Japan (so the fact that they had guns was strange). I think that some of my friends plan on staying here for a long time, even after they graduate. I don't think that it will be difficult for them, in fact it will probably be very easy. I have see some of my friends return home (at least one of them did not want to because she liked Japan). Also, one of my other friends told me that her friend from Taiwan had to return home and she as well did not want to. Recently, I have seriously been considering applying for Spring admissions to the Ph.D. programs to some universities in Texas. Of course there are serious problems with this. #1) I would have to leave Japan before I finished my masters, #2) I would have to have a recommendation from my professor in Japan (and if I told him I wanted to leave his lab, I don't know how thrilled he will be about it since I had to be accepted by his lab to come to Japan in the first place), #3) it is more difficult to be accepted in the Spring semester than in the Fall semester and there is a chance that I would not be accepted to any of the places that I applied to. If I were turned down after asking my professor to write me a recommendation to leave his lab, and then had to stay anyways (at least until the fall semester in U.S.A. started) that would feel kind of awkward the rest of the time I was here (and of course I don't want that). But the good side is that I would be back in Texas and making progress towards my Ph.D. My opinion of Japanese universities is not so high anymore (although, before I came here it was rather high). I think it is one of those things that you can't really know about until you come and see for yourself. So, even now I'm kind of home sick and think of returning home all the time. The other night, I caught myself thinking about trying to gain entrance into Baylor University because it is close to my home, but the Ph.D. program in Physics is just a little above average there. Perhaps, I should just stay the entire length of the program here, but that doesn't make much since to me. I'm not really after the degree, I after the understanding and I have serious doubts as to if I can learn the things I want to learn here. Plus, since the school year is different in Japan and the U.S.A., I would loose about a year waiting for school to resume between my graduation here and the start of the Fall semester in the U.S.
O'well, just things that I'm thinking about right now. Other than that, things are going alright. Tomorrow I have to choose my class schedule (which is done differently and is more inconvenient here for some reason). I don't really see any other events in the future to write about. I plan on visiting my host family from last year's Golden Week soon. Also, Golden Week will be something to write about (just like I did last year). My birthday is coming up as well in about a month (I hit the big 24). Well, that's all for now. The quote of the day is by Sir Isaac Newton:
"If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention, than to any other talent."
That's all for today. See you around.
Adios
-Ben
The next picture is taken while I was standing next to my door. Maybe you can get an idea of how popular cherry trees are here. You see them every where. There are white and pink cherry blossoms. The one outside my apartment are white, but the ones at the park (near Tsurumai station) were pink. If I am here next April, of course I will go again (by the way, if you click on the picture you can see it better).
This marks my one year anniversary of when I can to Japan.
As of today I have lived in Japan for one year. I didn't actually arrive in Nagoya until the 5th, but I was at Narita airport on this day, one year ago. I think that my feelings about Japan are rather mixed and have changed a lot since I arrived. My friends easily adjusted to life in Japan (probably because the standard of living is higher in Japan than there own countries I think...but don't hold me to that statement). I myself have actually had some difficulty adjusting to life in Japan and have not completely adjusted yet. Of course, there are some things in Japan that I will never get used to and there are some things here that will never make since to me (and why these things don't change is another thing that will never make since to me). (I believe that, if one wants to learn about themself, they should live in a foreign country for a long time then they will understand a lot more about themself). I think that Japan is a nice place to visit though (especially around this time of year). If my stay were much shorter, I would have enjoyed Japan greatly!!! Since I have been here I have seen many interesting things though (if you have read some articles in my blog you may have herd of them). In fact, the other day I went with a couple of friends to the Outback Steak House. While we were looking for some place to eat (before we decided on the Outback Steak House), we got on an elevator with some people who we believe to be Yakuza. We think they were Yakuza (Japanese Mafia) because we saw that one of them had a gun and they did not look like police officers (and they were going to the fourth floor on a building that did not have a business on the 4th floor...probably a Yakuza office). That was interesting. By the way, if you did not know, unlike Texas where everyone can have a gun, guns are illegal in Japan (so the fact that they had guns was strange). I think that some of my friends plan on staying here for a long time, even after they graduate. I don't think that it will be difficult for them, in fact it will probably be very easy. I have see some of my friends return home (at least one of them did not want to because she liked Japan). Also, one of my other friends told me that her friend from Taiwan had to return home and she as well did not want to. Recently, I have seriously been considering applying for Spring admissions to the Ph.D. programs to some universities in Texas. Of course there are serious problems with this. #1) I would have to leave Japan before I finished my masters, #2) I would have to have a recommendation from my professor in Japan (and if I told him I wanted to leave his lab, I don't know how thrilled he will be about it since I had to be accepted by his lab to come to Japan in the first place), #3) it is more difficult to be accepted in the Spring semester than in the Fall semester and there is a chance that I would not be accepted to any of the places that I applied to. If I were turned down after asking my professor to write me a recommendation to leave his lab, and then had to stay anyways (at least until the fall semester in U.S.A. started) that would feel kind of awkward the rest of the time I was here (and of course I don't want that). But the good side is that I would be back in Texas and making progress towards my Ph.D. My opinion of Japanese universities is not so high anymore (although, before I came here it was rather high). I think it is one of those things that you can't really know about until you come and see for yourself. So, even now I'm kind of home sick and think of returning home all the time. The other night, I caught myself thinking about trying to gain entrance into Baylor University because it is close to my home, but the Ph.D. program in Physics is just a little above average there. Perhaps, I should just stay the entire length of the program here, but that doesn't make much since to me. I'm not really after the degree, I after the understanding and I have serious doubts as to if I can learn the things I want to learn here. Plus, since the school year is different in Japan and the U.S.A., I would loose about a year waiting for school to resume between my graduation here and the start of the Fall semester in the U.S.
O'well, just things that I'm thinking about right now. Other than that, things are going alright. Tomorrow I have to choose my class schedule (which is done differently and is more inconvenient here for some reason). I don't really see any other events in the future to write about. I plan on visiting my host family from last year's Golden Week soon. Also, Golden Week will be something to write about (just like I did last year). My birthday is coming up as well in about a month (I hit the big 24). Well, that's all for now. The quote of the day is by Sir Isaac Newton:
"If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention, than to any other talent."
That's all for today. See you around.
Adios
-Ben
posted by Ben at 11:48 PM
3 Comments:
Hello, Ben. Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary.
Your Hanami sounds fun. In fact, I did Hanami a few days ago, too.
When I went to Gozyogawa(which is a river that is famous for its Hanami's event) for Hanami, I found lots of foreigners and they looked fine. I felt somehow happy with their smile.
I like this Japanese culture because you can feel that spring is coming. Also you can have some foods like "choco-Banana", banana topped with chocolate. It doesn't taste great, but I like the friendly atmosphere of Hanami with gettig snacks.
As for your thinking about the university in Japan, if you don't feel it's valuable, you don't have to waste your precious time.
As you said, if people lives in other countries, he would realize how his home was. I think so, too. I haven't been in another nation so long time, but when I went to England, I felt that I didn't know much of Japan myself.
I mean, I became to think about my country in a true sense.
I guess I had a similar feeling like you have.
I hope you choose the best way for you.
Hi Miho. I think that Hanami is a good tradition. When I went to Tsurumai park I think there were to many drunk people though. I did eat an American dog (actually, we call them corn dogs) at the park. I saw the choco-banana, but I did not try one.
About universities in Japan, I think I will go home in August. I have not really decided yet. I am worried about what my professor will feel about when I tell him I want to return home. I don't know if he will be upset or if he will understand. Maybe he won't write a good recommendation for me when I ask him to. I think I will probably have to tell him soon. Well, anyways, thanks for your comment. I will talk to you later.
-Ben
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